Who's a Weak Onna?
by mindmelda
Summary: Wufei learns something after he's injured, with a little help from Sally and his friends
1. Always wear a helmet

Title: Who's a Weak Onna?  
  
Author: Gina Lin Melton  
  
Genre: Romance, Minor Angst, Humor  
  
Rating: PG-13 to R  
  
Archived:  
  
Pairing: Wufei C./Sally P.  
  
(AN: Based loosely on something that actually happened, not to me, but to my brother, although details have been changed to protect the easily embarrassed.)  
  
Wufei never saw the ditch. Riding along at nearly top speed, trying out his new dirt bike, he was focused on the smooth sound of the engine and the wind singing through his ears. The feeling of absolute freedom he always got when riding a motorcycle.  
  
What a great place to ride, too. Miles of dirt roads, jumps and trails, all his. He was totally alone because it was a weekday.  
  
He'd been there before, but not on this particular trail.  
  
The feeling when he saw the huge crevasse of knowing he'd never make it was quickly replaced by absolute terror as he lost control and heard the sickening crunch of bone hitting metal before he mercifully lost consciousness.  
  
Pain. No stranger to a Gundam pilot. He gritted his teeth as he tentatively moved his head upon opening his eyes. Thank whatever powers there were for protective riding gear. It had probably saved his life. He reached up and felt his helmet and was astonished to find it had a large crack in it.  
  
He moved his limbs very slowly and gasped as a sharp pain shot through his left thigh. He reached down. Blood. A compound fracture, no doubt. Shit.  
  
He felt woozy. Shock was setting in quickly, from pain, blood loss and now the realization that he was probably seriously injured. His protective chest plate had at least prevented internal injuries. No broken ribs. At least there was that.  
  
They'd come looking for him. He'd told Quatre and Trowa at the house they were all staying at that he would be back in a few hours. They'd come. He looked around to see if the daypack he'd strapped to his bike was within reach.  
  
He groaned as he realized he'd have to move a few feet to get near enough. The bike was totaled. He barely looked at it. His entire focus was on moving that one meter.  
  
He pushed himself up on his elbows and slowly inched over to the bike. Each movement of his leg made him nauseous. Swallowing bile, he continued.  
  
Finally, he was able to reach the buckle of the strap that held the pack on. Water. He reached inside and grabbed the bottle of water inside and drank deeply.  
  
And promptly vomited it all back up, retching and gasping, rolling to the side to keep from spewing on himself. He groaned with disgust and wiped his mouth. "Slowly," he muttered to himself.  
  
Fortunately, the ground was sandy and not too uncomfortable. He reached into the pack, searching for something to wrap around his bleeding thigh.  
  
A flannel shirt was inside, and he pulled a strip off the bottom and bound it tightly above the wound, then put his belt over the cloth and tightened it, trying to slow the bleeding. The bone ends must have missed his artery, or he'd already have bled to death, he knew that. In that respect, he was lucky.  
  
Lying back carefully on the hard sandy soil, he waited to be rescued.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"He's not back," said Quatre, looking at Heero and wringing his hands. "He said he'd be back in a couple of hours. I should have never let him go riding alone."  
  
Trowa nodded, putting a comforting hand on Quatre's shoulder. He hated it when his sensitive companion got upset.  
  
"Well, let's not sit here with our thumbs up our asses!" said Duo, "What are we waiting for?"  
  
Heero nodded, and Duo recognized the "mission accepted" face his stoic friend now put on. As usual, action was his forte, not words. He was already moving to grab a few necessary items and heading out the door to the Jeep he was currently driving.  
  
Duo was close behind, braid flying as he ran after Heero and claimed shotgun in the Jeep.  
  
Quatre shook his head at Trowa's unspoken question. "I'm staying here in case someone tries to contact us."  
  
Trowa nodded again and put his arms comfortingly around the distressed young man.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Heero recognized the area from the quickly drawn map Wufei had left with Quatre.  
  
It was an old bombed out rural area full of dips and uneven terrain, no doubt a dirt biker's paradise. No wonder Wufei couldn't resist getting away for a few hours.  
  
Heero came to a stop in a cloud of dust and jumping out, began with Duo to search, calling his friends name.  
  
Wufei woke again from a light sleep to the faint sound of someone calling his name.  
  
"Duo?" he thought dazedly.  
  
"Over here!" he croaked as loudly as he could. His voice sounded disgustingly thin in his ears. Weak. He grimaced.  
  
Duo paused and cupped a hand to his ear.  
  
"I heard something a few degrees northeast of my present position," he radioed to Heero through their communicators. "Going to investigate."  
  
Duo ran yelling and then pausing every few seconds for another response.  
  
He came to the edge of a large ditch and 20 meters below him was a slight figure lying on the ground in black leather motorcycle gear.  
  
"Found him!" hollered Duo through the communicator. "Come help me, he's in a big ditch, injured, left leg, looks like," as he scrabbled down the loose rocky dirt of the steep crevasse.  
  
"I'm coming," said Heero briefly and took off at a dead run in the direction of Duo's transmission.  
  
"Wufei! Can you hear me, dude?" asked Duo, kneeling down beside his injured friend.  
  
"Yes, Maxwell, my ears are not damaged," said Wufei dryly, through his teeth.  
  
"Just lie still until Heero gets here and we'll carry you to the Jeep," said Duo, looking behind him.  
  
He was slightly sickened by the sight of naked bone coming through Wufei's thigh and the blood slowly seeping out of the wound.  
  
"I bet that hurts like a mother," said Duo, licking his lips and looking a bit green.  
  
"No, it feels great, I wish I'd fucked up the other one too," said Wufei sarcastically in a brittle voice.  
  
"Geez Wu-man, don't get all bitchy, I'm just trying to help," said Duo, offended.  
  
"I am NOT bitchy!" said Wufei heatedly, hissing with pain as the sudden outburst sent a fierce spasm of pain down his leg.  
  
"You should try to be quiet," said Duo, as finally Heero appeared at the top of the incline and scrambled down to them.  
  
"We have to stabilize that leg," said Heero, making Duo feel stupid that he hadn't even thought of anything like that.  
  
"A splint of some sort," said Duo, nodding. "How about the tailpipe of the bike? I can have it off in a jiffy," he said, pulling a wrench and a screwdriver out of his voluminous pockets.  
  
"I always wondered what you kept in there, besides a spare parachute," said Wufei, as Heero made short work of the rest of his flannel shirt from the pack, tearing it into strips to secure the splint.  
  
"Wu-man, you made a joke!" said Duo, grinning back at him. "It must be the pain. Endolphins or whatever."  
  
"The word is endorphins, moron!" said Wufei, watching warily as Duo approached with a straight piece of lightweight aluminum from his bike's tailpipe.  
  
"This is going to hurt," said Heero, aligning Wufei's injured leg as gently as possible against the metal length and beginning to secure the long strips of cloth around the leg.  
  
"I can give you sumthin for the pain," said Duo, reaching into the field pack he'd brought.  
  
"I can bear it," said Wufei, looking disdainfully at Duo at the suggestion.  
  
Duo shrugged. "Whatever blows your hair back," he said.  
  
Wufei finally passed out, but not nearly soon enough, Duo thought, gritting his teeth as he watched Heero impassively do what was necessary.  
  
"Take his arms," said Heero, taking Wufei's good leg next to him and then the injured one in his arms.  
  
Duo took his friends upper torso in his and together they carried the still unconscious Wufei to the Jeep.  
  
"God, he's such as stubborn bastard," said Duo, holding Wufei's torso to keep him still as Heero drove them back to the house.  
  
Heero nodded, keeping his eyes on the road.  
  
Duo radioed ahead to tell Quatre they were taking Wufei to the Preventor's Hospital, and to notify Sally Po.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	2. House of pain

Who's a Weak Onna?  
  
Chapter 2  
  
House of Pain  
  
AN: I forgot the disclaimer! Well, it was one in the morning when I wrote the first chapter, what do you expect? Here goes: I don't own Heero, Duo, Trowa, Quatre, Wufei or Sally. Or Hilde or Noin, or Zechs or anyone else from GW that might pop up in this fiction. Okay? Satisfied?  
  
I don't even own my own home! Leave me alone! I do own a whole collection of Gundam action figures, though.  
  
I have fun playing with them. Growing up sucks.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Wufei, can you hear me?"  
  
Coming back to consciousness was like swimming up to the surface through a thick dark sea. And of course, there was the pain.  
  
A groan escaped his lips.  
  
"Don't try to open your eyes yet, you won't be able to see anything for a while," said the gentle, familiar voice. "It's the anesthetic we use. Don't worry."  
  
"Cold."  
  
Sally nodded to a nurse standing next to her with a heated blanket. They spread it over Wufei.  
  
"Is that better?" she asked, putting her face close to his ear.  
  
"Mm."  
  
Seeing his slight shivering diminish, Sally bent over again near his ear.  
  
"You're cold because of the anesthetic too, it lowers your blood pressure. You've just been in surgery to repair your broken femur. I can give you something for the pain now that you've regained consciousness and your vitals are normal."  
  
She nodded again to the nurse, who injected a hypo into the IV line trailing into Wufei's left arm.  
  
Wufei felt a pleasant sensation wash over him and was pulled down into painless darkness again.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Heero, Duo, Trowa and Quatre were in the waiting room.  
  
Heero sat with crossed legs on a chair, apparently staring at nothing, fingers steepled in front of him. A cold cup of coffee sat in front of him on a table.  
  
Duo channel surfed on the provided television, fidgeting with the end of his braid and putting his hat on backwards, then forwards then taking it off and throwing it at the television. Finally, he found a cartoon channel and settled back, crossing one leg over the other and biting his lip in distracted manner.  
  
Quatre held a book in his lap, but wasn't looking at it. Trowa sat next to him on the ugly blue sofa, occasionally reaching over to brush a long finger down Quatre's arm.  
  
"Shit, what's taking so long?" exploded Duo, for the tenth time in almost 3 hours.  
  
"I'm sure that Sally will give us any news as soon as she can," said Quatre gently, as he picked up his cup of tea and sipped it. Cold. He shrugged and drank it anyway.  
  
Heero raised his brows at Duo, and shook his head.  
  
"I'm going to call Hilde," Duo said, jumping up and disappearing down the hall, long braid slapping against his black clothed behind as he jogged away.  
  
"How many times does that make now?" asked Trowa, with a faint smile.  
  
"Three," said Heero shortly, briefly locking his two dark blue eyes with Trowa's visible bright green one and shrugging.  
  
In spite of his tension, Quatre grinned.  
  
"He never could sit still," Quatre said, "I don't know how he sat strapped in a cockpit all those hours."  
  
"Destroying things seemed to provide enough distraction," said Trowa, relieved to see Quatre smile again.  
  
"Baka," muttered Heero, taking a swallow of his cold coffee.  
  
"Don't you want to call Relena?" asked Quatre, looking over at Heero.  
  
"She always knows where I am," said Heero cryptically, and sat down the styrofoam cup. He rose, stretching out his vertebrae until Quatre heard a faint cracking sound and then resumed the same cross-legged posture on the chair.  
  
"Oh," said Quatre, looking at Trowa and shrugging. Trowa raised one brow in response but said nothing.  
  
The doors at the end of the hallway opened and Sally came toward the group, pulling a surgical mask and hair cover from her long golden brown braids.  
  
"Sally!" said Quatre, jumping up, the book sliding to the floor. Trowa stood too.  
  
Heero raised his eyes expectantly towards the woman, but said nothing.  
  
"Where's Duo?" she asked, looking around.  
  
"Went to call Hilde," said Trowa, pointing down the other hallway.  
  
"For the third time," said Quatre, stepping forward to embrace Sally in a quick hug.  
  
"How are you holding up, Sally?" asked Quatre, holding her at arms length and looking into her tired face.  
  
She smiled wearily. "I should be asking all of you that, Quatre. Did anyone ever tell you that you have a great bedside manner?"  
  
"All the time," said Trowa, seriously, but with a wicked glint of humor in his visible green eye.  
  
Even Heero snorted at that. Quatre blushed faintly and rolled his eyes.  
  
Duo appeared. "What'd I miss?" he asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet and looking from face to face anxiously.  
  
"Nothing yet, baka," said Heero, rising to come over to the others.  
  
Sally took a deep breath. "Let's all sit down, please," she said gently. "I'm dead on my feet."  
  
Everyone took a seat, and looked at her expectantly.  
  
"Wufei has a very bad crush compound fracture of his left femur," she said, folding her hands. "Also, a dislocated left wrist, and of course, numerous abrasions and some deep contusions. Those are nothing to worry about. The leg is the main focus of our concern."  
  
She cleared her throat. "I'll be straight with you. He could lose it, in spite of our best efforts. He's lost considerable bone, and some of the muscle overlaying the bone. It's going to take bone grafts, and a good deal more surgery to try to save his leg."  
  
Quatre paled and turned his face into Trowa's shoulder. Trowa closed his eyes and patted Quatre absently on the back.  
  
Duo jumped up and swore, then turned his back to the others, jerking his hat down over his eyes.  
  
Heero nodded and lowered his gaze to the floor.  
  
"Does he know?" asked Heero, his monotone unusually gentle.  
  
"No, not yet," said Sally. "He only regained consciousness for a few minutes. I had to give him something pretty strong for the pain."  
  
"Can we see him?" said Quatre, pulling his face from Trowa's sweater and wiping his eyes.  
  
"Certainly," said Sally. "I have you all listed as 'family members' on the visiting list, so you can visit him any time you want."  
  
"Thank you," said Quatre simply.  
  
"Come on, I'll take you to Intensive Care," said Sally standing up and leading the way.  
  
"He won't be aware of you on a conscious level, but I want you all to talk to him anyway," said Sally, as the glass doors to ICU slid open. "Even hold his hand, if you want."  
  
"Why?" asked Duo, wrinkling his nose at the smell of antiseptic, bleach and alcohol.  
  
"People can perceive your presence on a subconscious and even unconscious level," explained Sally.  
  
"I want Wufei to know you're all here. Feeling supported is a big part of healing. He needs all the help he can get on that score."  
  
"Holding hands with Wufei," said Duo, grinning faintly. "That's a new one, even for me."  
  
"Maybe he'll wake up and threaten to run you through with his katana," said Quatre, smiling at the mental image.  
  
"Right now, I wouldn't care," said Duo soberly, remembering how pale and broken Wufei looked in his arms on the trip to the hospital.  
  
He swallowed. "Hell, I'll snog him if you think it'd help," he joked weakly.  
  
Heero snorted again. Quatre giggled. Trowa chuckled.  
  
"He's in here," Sally pulled back a heavy curtain to expose a very pale Wufie lying still, connected to various monitors, with several tubes running in and out from under a heavy woven blanket. Wufei's left leg was under a support, the blanket held above it. He left wrist was encased in a plastic splint, and he had serious abrasions all the way up both arms.  
  
"Ah, fuck!" said Duo softly, reaching up to wipe his eyes roughly.  
  
Quatre and Trowa walked over to the still form first.  
  
"Wufei," said Quatre, bending over and gently brushing his lips against the man's forehead.  
  
Sitting on a chair beside the bed, he took Wufei's right hand. "We're all here, Wufei. I know you can hear us, Sally said so."  
  
Trowa stood behind Quatre and put his hands on the blond man's shoulders.  
  
Tentatively, Trowa reached over and placed one of his hands on the one with which Quatre was holding Wufei's.  
  
Duo came over next and put his hand on Wufei's shoulder on the same side.  
  
"I'm here, Wu-man," he said, taking off his billed cap and sticking it his pocket.  
  
They all looked over at Heero.  
  
Heero returned the collective stare, then shrugged and walked over to the foot of the bed.  
  
He simply placed his hand on Wufei's uninjured lower leg and squeezed it slightly.  
  
"That's Heero" said Duo, bending over and whispering into Wufei's ear.  
  
"You're sure he can hear us?" asked Duo, looking doubtfully at Wufei's unresponsive face.  
  
"Yes," said Sally. "On some level. Even people in a deep coma are aware of sounds and touch."  
  
"He knows we're here," Quatre whispered, gently rubbing the back of Wufei's hand.  
  
Duo nodded, "If you say so, Q-man." Sometimes, he almost forgot Quatre's empathic abilities.  
  
"I know." Quatre smiled faintly, his eyes distant.  
  
Everyone stood quietly for a few minutes.  
  
"I have to go," said Heero abruptly, standing back. He looked at his watch. "I'm expected at a function with Relena tonight. Sorry."  
  
"Go ahead, we understand," said Quatre.  
  
Heero nodded. "I'll be back when I can." He left on silent feet.  
  
"Ever the good soldier," said Trowa.  
  
"Yeah, but at least he wears regular clothes now," joked Duo. "Relena must have burned all the spandex shorts in the city."  
  
Trowa grinned.  
  
"Hey, I gotta call Hilde again," said Duo, whipping around to the exit.  
  
"Duo! This makes four times now!" protested Quatre.  
  
"Hey, just because your main squeeze is here to glomp!" said Duo, sticking out his tongue at the blond man.  
  
"Besides, I didn't have anything new to tell her last time, and now I do." He strode out the sliding door that Heero had just exited.  
  
Quatre rolled his eyes at Duo's departing blur and returned to gently stroking the back of Wufei's hand.  
  
Trowa went and retrieved another chair and placed it next to Quatre's as they settled in for a long vigil. 


	3. Sally

Who's a Weak Onna?  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Sally  
  
Sally Po walked slowly to the female side of the physicians changing room and stripped off her dirty scrubs. Wrapping herself in a yellow terry robe from her locker, grabbing soap and other toiletries, she made her way to the shower, and turned on the water in an empty stall.  
  
Under the pounding spray of the hot water, she finally slumped against the tiled shower wall and let soundless tears run down her face.  
  
When Heero and Duo had brought Wufei in, she'd been waiting, alerted by Quatre's call.  
  
Seeing him pale and blood smeared in Duo's arms, her breathing had caught for a moment. He looked dead. Then she saw the slight movement of his rib cage under the leather jacket, and found her voice as the ER crew ran out to transfer their patient to a backboard, then a gurney.  
  
Professionalism kicked in and she found herself directing procedures, and making medical assessments in a detached fashion, ignoring Duo's incessant questions and Heero's stares.  
  
She called the best orthopedist she knew of, Michael Carruthers, and had Wufei sent directly to an operating room as soon as he was stable.  
  
Running behind the gurney to the OR, she went to scrub up. She was going to be there even if she did nothing but stand and watch.  
  
Carruthers was already there when she came in, scrubbing up at the sink. His dark head with distinguished premature silver at the temples was hunched over the sink as he carefully soaped, scrubbed and rinsed his arms.  
  
Carruthers was a large stocky man with wide but strangely artistic looking hands. It took strength to be a good orthopedist. It was the "body shop" of medicine, often involving sawing, drilling and re-breaking badly healed bones, and setting fractures and dislocations with brute strength.  
  
"So, Sally, you know this fellow?" asked Carruthers in his crisp English accent.  
  
"Yes," said Sally, "for over 5 years now. Thanks for letting me scrub in with you, Michael."  
  
"Don't mention it, luv," Michael said to her, grinning reassuringly at her.  
  
"I had to patch up a lot of busted up legs and arms during the war, so your friend is in good hands. I'll do my best for him."  
  
"I know Michael," she said, "You're the best, that's why I called you."  
  
"So, you're just friends?" he asked carefully, watching her face. Sally was a private person, but he wanted to know how close she was to his patient.  
  
"Yes," said Sally, with a hint of regret in her voice that wasn't unnoticed by the other surgeon.  
  
"I see," said Michael in a neutral tone.  
  
"I'll see you inside, Dr. Po," he said, walking backwards into the operating room where a scrub nurse carefully gloved and gowned him, and then adjusted his plastic face shield.  
  
Sally followed behind, and another nurse did the same for her.  
  
"All right then," Dr. Carruthers said, focusing on the exposed section of leg in front of him, and then nodded to his staff. "Let's get to it, shall we?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"That's all I can do for now," Carruthers said 3 hours later.  
  
"The wound will have to stay open because of swelling, so let's get a drain in there, Dr. Po and get a CAT scan of that leg. I want to see just how much bone loss there is, so I can see what I'm going to have to harvest for a graft."  
  
Sally nodded and gave the proper order to the nurse, who phoned down to the CAT scanning room.  
  
Carruthers stretched out his aching back. "I'm gonna let you take over, Sally, I've got to run," he looked at the clock. "Set that wrist, and dress those abrasions, after you get the drain in."  
  
Sally nodded. "Thanks again, Michael, I know it was short notice."  
  
She carefully refrained from looking at the pale oval strong-featured face until she was done and the nurses were cleaning, bandaging and undraping his unconscious form.  
  
"Lisa, I've got to go out and give his friends an update," she said to a tall black nurse who was removing the surgical drapes and replacing them with a clean sheet carefully placed over a frame that held it off of the injured limb.  
  
"I'll get him settled in ICU, Dr. Po," replied Lisa Johnson, smiling at Sally. "I'll give him my special touch, seein' as how he's a friend of yours. Don't you worry."  
  
Sally nodded, "Thanks, Lisa, I knew I could count on you."  
  
She stripped off the gloves and plastic gown and pushed them down into the waste can, and then reached down and took off her surgical booties and added them to the pile.  
  
"Hold it together a few more minutes," she thought to herself, walking out the OR doors and seeing Quatre, Trowa and Heero looking expectantly at her.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Finally, Sally raised her head and stuck her face under the hot spray of the shower. Reaching for the shampoo, she began to listlessly wash her hair, then condition the long strands.  
  
A final soaping and rinsing, and she stepped out and grabbed her robe, wrapping it around her, bending over and wrapping a towel around her head like a turban.  
  
She walked over to the mirror. "I look like shit," she thought, noticing red rimmed eye and dark circles of fatigue under them. She raised her hands to her face and noted that they were shaking slightly.  
  
She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "He's all right, he's all right," she repeated like a mantra until her hands were steady and walked over to her locker to get dressed. 


	4. The Chinese Patient

Who's a Weak Onna?  
  
Chapter 4  
  
The Chinese Patient  
  
"Wufei?"  
  
A familiar male tenor voice was whispering in his ear. He tried to answer, but all that came out was a dry rasp.  
  
"What was that?" asked the voice.  
  
"Water."  
  
"Did he ask for water?" said the mild voice. "Or is he trying to say 'Quatre'?"  
  
"YES! Water! You idiot!" Wufei wanted to yell, but again, nothing came out of his throat but a hoarse croak.  
  
"Trowa, ring the nurse and ask if he can have some water, please."  
  
"We're calling the nurse, Wufei. I'm sorry, but I don't know if I can give you a drink or not."  
  
Trowa was talking with Lisa, the tall black woman who had been there earlier.  
  
She nodded and went to get one of those ubiquitous plastic hospital pitchers full of ice water and a plastic tumbler with a bendable straw in it.  
  
"Now, go slow, honey," said Lisa, placing the straw carefully in Wufei's mouth.  
  
Cold, sweet relief.  
  
Even on a desert mission, Wufei couldn't remember water tasting and feeling so wonderful.  
  
He sighed. And tried to open his eyes. For some reason, his focus was a little off. He wondered vaguely if he had a head injury, but his head didn't hurt.  
  
"Look Trowa, he's opening his eyes!" said Quatre delightedly, grasping Wufei's good hand and squeezing it.  
  
"Quatre," Wufei croaked, although now that his throat was lubricated, it was a lot easier to talk.  
  
Wufei's eyes began to focus better and he saw a blond head close to his face, and a golden brown one behind it. Trowa was there too, apparently. An older woman with smooth dark skin was holding the cup of water he was drinking from.  
  
"How?" asked Wufei, casting his eyes around the room and looking at Quatre. He was still slowly sipping the water, with long pants between sips.  
  
"You mean, how'd you get here?" asked Quatre. Just then, Duo bounded into the room.  
  
"Hey Wu-man!" he said gleefully. "You're awake!" Duo took off his hat and crammed it into one of the voluminous pockets of his loose fitting cargo pants.  
  
Wufei winced as Maxwell's loud voice assaulted his ears.  
  
"Are you in pain?" asked Quatre, concern etched into his gentle features.  
  
"Maxwell," muttered Wufei, indicating Duo with his chin. "Loud."  
  
"Sorry, Wufei," said Duo, lowering his voice and looking sheepish. "I was just happy to see you back in the land of the living."  
  
"I'm sure Wufei understands," soothed Quatre.  
  
Wufei suddenly flashed on Duo's anxious face hovering over him as he lay upon the ground.  
  
"Maxwell," he grated, "Found me?"  
  
"Yeah, that was me," said Duo, coming closer. "We, uh, had a few words before Heero came along and helped me get you up the hill. Remember?"  
  
"Bike?" Wufei asked with faint hope.  
  
"Trashed, totaled, nada, Wu-dude," Duo shook his head sadly. "Sorry, man."  
  
Wufei tried to shrug, but he was attached to too many sticky things that were attached to tubes to do more than give a slight twitch of his shoulders.  
  
"Hey, you're alive, man, that's all that matters. I almost crapped my pants when I saw you laying there, you looked dead."  
  
"Duo!" said Quatre, giving Duo an old-fashioned look.  
  
"Well, he did!" said Duo, folding his arms.  
  
"Well, I got other patients to tend to," said Lisa, putting down the tumbler on the table next to the bed and patting Wufei gently on the shoulder. "You need me, you just have to push this," she added, clamping the call button to the sheet near Wufei's good hand.  
  
"How do you feel, Wufei?" asked Trowa, quietly as Lisa left the room.  
  
"Shit," said Wufei shortly.  
  
Quatre and Duo laughed, and Trowa chuckled.  
  
"You look like shit too, if that's any consolation," said Duo, reaching over impulsively and resting his hand on Wufei's shoulder, giving it a little squeeze.  
  
"Duo!" said Trowa, this time, staring at the braided man.  
  
"Thanks," Wufei said sarcastically, giving a weak imitation of the Yuy death glare to Duo.  
  
"Well, you must be feeling better, because you just gave me a look that'd peel paint off a Gundam," said Duo, grinning.  
  
Sally came into the room just then.  
  
"Good to see you awake," she said quietly. She had on fresh yellow scrubs and her slightly damp hair was loosely gathered in a ponytail at the nape of her neck.  
  
"Quit harassing my patient," she joked to Duo, drawing down her arched brows into a mock frown.  
  
"He's harassing me right back," complained Duo, but he grinned at her.  
  
"Well, I hope you don't think I'm being a creep, but I'm starving. You two guys wanna go grab something to eat with me?" asked Duo, putting on his best puppy-eyes pleading look for Trowa and Quatre.  
  
Trowa nodded, "I know you Quatre. You'll worry yourself sick if I don't drag you out of here. Let's go have something with Duo and we can come back later to say goodnight."  
  
Quatre reluctantly nodded. "Okay, okay, I give," he said, reaching up to give Trowa a peck on the cheek.  
  
"How about pizza?" suggested Duo as they said their temporary farewells to Wufei and left the ICU.  
  
"You always want anchovies!" Sally and Wufei heard Trowa's voice protest as they walked away. "But I like anchovies, someone has to!"  
  
Sally smiled. "He's quite a character," she said, checking the monitors and writing down some numbers on the chart she had in her hand.  
  
"How am I?" asked Wufei in a hoarse tone, suddenly grabbing her hand.  
  
"Really, Sally," he asked earnestly, his eyes shifting to the bulge of his left leg under the supporting frame.  
  
"Truth?" she asked, meeting his black eyes with her bright blue ones.  
  
"Always," he rasped. He held her eyes and still gripped her hand lightly.  
  
"Your leg is seriously injured," she began.  
  
"How serious?" he asked.  
  
"You have a compound fracture with a crush injury. That means bone was lost and there is muscle damage. It will take some more surgery and considerable time for it to heal properly."  
  
He lowered his eyes, swallowed then raised them again. "Thank you."  
  
"For what?" she asked, puzzled.  
  
"Being honest."  
  
"Drink, please?" he asked indicating the water on the stand with his chin.  
  
She smiled. "Sure," she poured water into the glass and once again held the straw to his lips.  
  
He took a long drink.  
  
"Hate it," he whispered, looking at her and then the glass.  
  
"What?" she asked puzzled again.  
  
"Being helpless, weak," he said, closing his eyes wearily.  
  
"Hate it."  
  
He was asleep before she could respond.  
  
"I know," she said, watching the gentle rise and fall of his breathing for a few minutes.  
  
She touched his hand. Impulsively, she leaned over and placed her lips lightly where her hand had touched.  
  
She lowered the lights as she left, taking one last glance behind her. 


	5. Bathtime

Who's the Weak Onna?  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Bathtime  
  
"Enough!"  
  
Quatre could hear the yell from down the hall. He took off at a run with Trowa hot on his heels, towards the ICU.  
  
"Come near me again and suffer, onna!" snarled Wufei to the petite blond nurse that was still holding a sponge in her hand.  
  
"But, Mr. Chang, I have my instructions from Dr. Po. You're scheduled for a sponge bath at 8:00 a.m. this morning. It's now 8:10 and I have a whole list of patients!"  
  
Quatre and Trowa came in the room in time to hear this statement. Trowa began to laugh, followed by Quatre, who at least was trying to contain himself by biting the inside of his cheek.  
  
"Miss," began Quatre, going over to her and assuming his most diplomatic manner, "maybe you should skip ahead to the next person on your list. I'll take care of this myself. If you have any problems, give Dr. Po this."  
  
He took out a gold pen from his vest pocket and quickly wrote something on the young woman's order sheet. She looked at it and smiled sweetly at Quatre. Leaving the cart, she quickly left the room, drawing the privacy curtains behind her as she left.  
  
"What did you write, love?" asked Trowa under his breath to Quatre.  
  
"I just wrote 'Trowa and I will take care of this matter personally Sally, Love, Quatre.' next to the nurse's order for this room," said Quatre, slyly winking at the taller man.  
  
"I see," said Trowa, looking at a still outraged and disheveled Wufei on the bed out of the corner of his eyes and snickering.  
  
"Ready?"  
  
"Ready!"  
  
Wufei was completely taken by surprise as two very strong able bodied young men proceeded to pin him gently to the bed and wash him throroughly from top to tail.  
  
In spite of the howls and threats to remove certain portions of their intimate anatomy with his katana, Wufei did feel cleaner when it was all over. He also discovered that one could not actually die from embarrassment, no matter how much one wished to do so.  
  
"What, no thank you's!" said Quatre in an mock aggrieved tone. He was soaked completely from the waist up, and grinning like the proverbial Cheshire cat.  
  
Trowa was slightly dryer, since he had done most of the holding of Wufei's right arm and leg and less of the actual bathing.  
  
"Now, Mr. Chang, how about that hair?" said Quatre, going to the attached bath and drawing a large basinful of warm water, and grabbed a bottle of baby shampoo.  
  
"You're NOT going to wash my hair!" yelled Wufei. Trowa shook his head an clucked his tongue.  
  
"Looks as though we're going to have to do this part the hard way too, love," said Trowa sadly, but his eyes were dancing with laughter.  
  
He went behind the head of the bed and gently put his hands on Wufei's shoulders, effectively pinning him down.  
  
"Now, be a good boy or I'll hold you by your hair," said Trowa, as Quatre reached down and pulled Wufei's past shoulder length hair free from the elastic band.  
  
Wufei closed his eyes in denial and submitted, but he held his mouth in a grim line as Quatre gently wet and washed his hair, then rinsed it over the edge of the bed.  
  
"Just like my sisters' kids," Quatre said, taking a towel and gently rubbing Wufei's hair dry.  
  
"Aw, he's so cute now, and smells yummy too," teased Trowa, reaching for a wide toothed comb. He bent over quickly and took a long inhale and then pecked Wufei on the cheek.  
  
Wufei's eyes popped open in shock but he said nothing.  
  
In fact, he was beginning to feel a little sleepy from the gentle tugging on his scalp as Trowa combed his hair and then proceeded to pull it back into it's usual tail at the nape of his neck.  
  
"You're a little wet now, Mr. Chang," said Quatre. "Let's get that nightie changed, shall we? Arms up!" he commanded, being careful of the IV lines and of his splinted wrist on the left side. The gown had been put on afterwards, so it slipped over everything through the armhole.  
  
"Let's see, Nurse Barton, do you think Mr. Chang would prefer hearts or diamonds on his jammies?" said Quatre, really getting into the role now.  
  
Wufei submitted in silence as the two men gently pulled a hospital gown with blue diamonds on it over his arms and tied it in the back.  
  
"Aw, he's all clean and sleepy, daddy," said Quatre, in a voice one uses with small animals or babies.  
  
Wufei scowled at him, turning his head into the pillow.  
  
"Now, lets get the nurse in here to change that bedding shall we?" said Quatre, pressing the call button.  
  
"My, what a good job you two boys have done," said Lisa, as she and an orderly gently moved Wufei from one side of the bed to the other, removing the used bedding and replacing it with dry clean sheets and a new pillowcase.  
  
"If you ever need a job." she began, as Trowa shook his head and Quatre began to giggle.  
  
"I'm afraid we only do this for close friends, Ms. Johnson," said Quatre with a demeanor of polite seriousness. "But thank you anyway."  
  
"Hey, what did I miss?" asked Duo, coming into the room and removing his sunglasses.  
  
"Bathtime," said Trowa and Quatre together, and then burst into laughter.  
  
Wufei scowled even harder and tried to slump down into the bed. Duo looked puzzled then noticed Wufei's still damp hair and the cart with a basin and towels on it and grinned widely.  
  
"Look who was able to drag his skinny ass away from the Vice Ambassador for a few minutes," said Duo, pointing to Heero, who had come up behind him into the room.  
  
Heero came up to the right side of the bed and gravely offered his hand.  
  
"You look better," he said, shaking Wufei's hand briefly then stepping back with a small bow of his head.  
  
"Thank you," said Wufei quietly, thankful that someone he knew wasn't trying to humiliate him for a change.  
  
"Yeah, and you smell better too," said Duo, much to Wufei's chagrin.  
  
"Shut up, Maxwell," he growled, pulling the blanket up under his chin.  
  
"I love it when you're grumpy, Wu-babe," said Duo, sitting carefully on the edge of the newly made bed. "It means things are back to normal."  
  
"Not quite."  
  
Sally came into the room with her clipboard. "No need for anyone to leave," as the four men rose, "In fact, I'm glad you're all here."  
  
"Why?" asked Duo, a knot beginning to form in his stomach at Sally's tone.  
  
"Because I need to ask you all something." She hesitated and plunged onward.  
  
"What?" asked Quatre, this time, taking Trowa's hand into his.  
  
"Well, in about a month, Wufei is going to have had enough procedures done, hopefully to not require hospital care. But, that means his choices are either to go to a full time nursing facility or. for one or more of you to care for him until he's on his feet again."  
  
"I hope," Sally silently added to herself, an anxious look passing quickly across her gentle features for a moment.  
  
Quatre cleared his throat and looked at Trowa for a second before replying.  
  
"Sally, there's no way in hell anyone I care about is going into a nursing home! I'll take care of it. I can hire all the nursing staff he needs and Allah knows I have plenty of room. Trowa and I would be thrilled to take care of Wufei. If he'll do us the honor, of course."  
  
"I was hoping you'd say that!" said Sally in relieved tones. "You're the sweetest man in the universe, Quatre Winner!"  
  
Her normal reserve broken down, she stood up and embraced Quatre and then Trowa.  
  
"Excuse me!"  
  
The trio looked around as Wufei struggled to rise himself in the bed and failed.  
  
"Does anyone care what I might have to say about this?" Wufei asked, looking at them.  
  
"Of course," said Quatre, walking over to Wufei and sitting in the chair next to the bed.  
  
"I.accept your kind offer."  
  
Quatre smiled, knowing what that had cost his proud and independent friend.  
  
"I'm looking forward to your company," said Quatre, taking Wufei's hand and shaking it with a firm grip. Trowa came over and did the same.  
  
"Geez, what was that all about?" mumbled Duo, looking perplexedly at the three of them.  
  
"Saving face," said Heero quietly in his ear.  
  
"Oh," said Duo. "I get it."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After the four ex-pilots had left, Sally sat in the chair vacated by Quatre.  
  
"You have amazing friends, Wufei," she said, writing down a few notes on her chart.  
  
"I know." His voice was subdued and she could tell he needed to rest, not that he'd ever admit it.  
  
"I hear you've been a difficult patient, not that I expected anything less of a dragon." She smiled gently at him.  
  
"Dragon?" repeated Wufei quietly.  
  
"Sorry, that's how I think of you," said Sally, averting her eyes to her chart.  
  
"I'm not offended," he said, looking at her and raising one eyebrow.  
  
"In fact, I think I like it."  
  
She smiled. "Well then, Dragon it is." She rose and inserted her pen into the clamp of the clipboard.  
  
"I wish I could visit longer, but I have other patients, unfortunately. I'll be back at the end of my shift, though, if it's all right with you."  
  
"Certainly, Sally, come back, please."  
  
"Is there anything that you'd like?" she asked him, turning around at the door.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, what?"  
  
"Shrimp curry and you to share it with me."  
  
Her eyes widened. "Okay, it's a date," she said lightly, but her face was slightly flushed.  
  
"I'm off at 6:00. I'll get it and be here at 7:00."  
  
He nodded. "I'll be here. Where else?" he said with the barest hint of a smile.  
  
Sally walked out into the hallway and discovered her heart was beating a little more rapidly than usual. 


	6. Hot and Spicy

Who's a Weak Onna?  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Hot and Spicy  
  
Sally was true to her word. She arrived at 7:00 equipped with take out boxes of steamed rice, shrimp curry and the appropriate place settings borrowed from the hospital kitchen.  
  
"I hope this makes you feel a bit more normal," she said, setting out plates, silverware and napkins on the small table between them.  
  
"I know how de-humanizing it can be to be a patient," she admitted. "Try not to take it too personally."  
  
"Hard not to when you're being violated in some fashion every 10 minutes," Wufei said dryly.  
  
She colored slightly. "I know," she said, busying herself with serving the food and pouring them each a glass of sparking cider.  
  
"I'm sorry, no booze," she said as she poured them the juice. "It doesn't mix well with your meds and I'm driving home later."  
  
"It's fine," he said, taking a sip. "I'm not big on alcohol anyway."  
  
"Oh, why not?" she asked him, taking a drink from her own glass.  
  
"It, uh, tends to make me act a little out of character," he said, setting down his glass and picking up the chopsticks that had come with the meal instead of a fork.  
  
"You mean silly," said Sally, taking a small bite of the curry, mixed in with plenty of rice.  
  
"That's one word for it," he said, tasting his.  
  
"A little hot, don't you think?" asked Sally, taking another sip of her drink.  
  
"Yes, but I like it that way," said Wufei, taking a largish bite of his food.  
  
"I'm glad you're hungry," said Sally. "It's a sign you're recovering right on schedule."  
  
"I think I like it better when you talk like my friend instead of like my doctor," said Wufei, taking another bite.  
  
"Okay, I promise, no more 'doctor talk'," said Sally, making an 'X' over her left breast.  
  
"Good," said Wufei, "I've had enough of that the past few days to last me a lifetime."  
  
"I'm sorry to say it'll be a while before it's all over," said Sally, putting down her fork and touching a napkin to her lips. "You've only just begun to go through what is going to be a long process."  
  
"I don't want to think about that right now," he said stubbornly, continuing to eat. "I want to enjoy your company and think about something besides pain and being stuck in this bed and when the next white-coated vampire is coming to drain more blood from me or insert this there or stick me with what where."  
  
He exhaled loudly and took another swallow of his drink.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said again, "I'm not being very good company. Here I should be taking your mind off this whole wretched thing and all I can think about is what's ahead of us."  
  
"Us?" he queried, raising his eyebrow.  
  
She flushed, "You know what I mean. You must know I intend to be here for you until this is all over, both as your friend, and as your doctor, naturally."  
  
"Naturally," he repeated, setting down his nearly empty plate and the chopsticks.  
  
"I would expect nothing less of you, Sally," he said, looking at her in an appraising fashion, "You've always been a very fine and loyal person."  
  
"Thank you," she said, ducking her head self-consciously.  
  
"I don't give compliments lightly," he said, clearing his throat and taking another sip of his drink.  
  
"After five years, I do realize that," said Sally, nodding her head.  
  
"I can't help but think of when I first met you. You seemed so young and so old at the same time. I remember wondering what sort of man you'd become in a few years."  
  
"Well, what do you think?" he asked curiously. He found himself intensely wanting to know what she thought of him.  
  
"I think I'm pleased," she said quietly, looking at her hands in her lap.  
  
"I'm glad you're pleased," he admitted. "I don't think I could bear it if you weren't."  
  
"Why?"  
  
He thought a few moments. "Because you convinced me that I was worthy to keep fighting then and now you're doing it again. I don't know many people who would do that for someone."  
  
"That seems so long ago now," she said, "but I'm honored you think of me that way. I hold you in equal esteem, never doubt that."  
  
"Sally?"  
  
"What?"  
  
He took a long breath and let it out slowly. "It's bad, isn't it?  
  
"You're talking about your leg, aren't you?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Will I walk again? I mean normally? Will I be able to be a Preventor? Will I lose my leg?"  
  
The last was barely a whisper.  
  
"Honestly? I can't answer any of that now, it's too soon. I'm sorry Wufei, really sorry."  
  
"It's all right. It was my own foolishness that got me here, not anything you should be apologizing for," he said tiredly.  
  
"Foolishness?"  
  
"I should have done some exploring before I just blasted off on that bike!" he said slamming down his hand on the small table in frustration.  
  
"So stupid! I'm such an idiot!" He curled his face into his good hand and held it there so she couldn't see his expression.  
  
Sally rose and pushing away the table, sat carefully on the edge of the bed.  
  
"Wufei, listen to me," she said calmly, reaching up and pulling his hand from his face.  
  
"Look at me!" she said sternly, reaching out and pulling up his chin. His dark eyes glittered with tears of frustration and self-loathing.  
  
"Everyone makes mistakes. You're no exception. That's all this was, a mistake," she said, looking him intensely.  
  
"You're not stupid or foolish, you're one of the most astute people I've ever known."  
  
"Sally." He breathed the word and his good right hand came up as he lightly brushed her lips with his fingers.  
  
She held her breath and closed her eyes for a moment.  
  
"Now stop feeling sorry for yourself and use that energy to get well!" she leaned forward because he couldn't and brushed her lips softly against his.  
  
He looked dumbfounded but nodded his head and scooted down in the bed.  
  
"You must be tired," said Sally, noticing the droop of his eyelids as he lay back against the pillow of the bed.  
  
"I am, but I'm still glad you came," he said, yawning widely before he could cover his mouth. "Sorry, bad manners."  
  
"Your manners are as impeccable as those white pants you wear all the time," said Sally, smiling down at him as she reached down and pulled the blanket up to his chest and smoothed it over to the sides of the bed.  
  
"Sally?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Kiss me goodnight," he asked sleepily. "Please."  
  
She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, like a child.  
  
"No, not like that," he said petulantly. "Like this."  
  
Taking her hand, he pulled her down and kissed her firmly on the mouth, then released her.  
  
"Better." He said, and in a few moments, was soundly asleep.  
  
"Definitely better," thought Sally, tasting the spices from the curry and something that was simply Wufei on her lips as she gathered up the dishes and things to take down to the kitchen, disposing of the empty take-out boxes.  
  
"Much better," she murmured, turning down the lights as she left. 


	7. Going Home

Who's a Weak Onna?  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Going Home  
  
Sally looked at the surgery schedule that Michael Carruthers had sent to her email and groaned. Wufei was scheduled for 2 surgeries to harvest and implant bone grafts in the 3 weeks before he left the hospital.  
  
"Now I have to go tell him that he's going to be back to square one twice before he gets to leave." She sighed. This wasn't going to be fun.  
  
She started rehearsing her speech in her mind on the way to his room.  
  
And decided that with Wufei, the straightforward approach was best. He hated sugar coating the truth.  
  
He was in a private room now, at least, and out of the more impersonal ICU.  
  
His leg was now in a removable cast, and the wrist injury had recovered nicely. Even Sally had to admit she was impressed with the way he had healed. He was a long way from walking or bearing any weight on the leg, but she could tell things were proceeding better than anticipated. Muscle tissue was rebuilding nicely, although he'd always have a noticeable scar. Now, all that remained was to rebuild the lost sections of bone his own body would be unable to do on it's own.  
  
Duo was with him when she entered, and from the look on Wufei's face, things were proceeding as usual between the two of them. She hid a small grin behind her clipboard.  
  
"Hiya Sally, how's our boy?" asked Duo, jumping up when she came in.  
  
"He won't tell me nuthin'," Duo put on a fake pout, which lasted about five seconds before he was grinning at her.  
  
"He's actually doing better than we expected, Duo," she said, "so you can go tell Quatre that next time you see him."  
  
"How'd you know I was asking for Quatre?" asked Duo, narrowing his round blue violet eyes at her.  
  
"Because Quatre is a worry-wart, and you're not," said Sally, reaching down and taking off his cap and then smacking him lightly on the head with it before he could duck.  
  
"She's mean," said Duo, to Wufei, "Smart too." He grabbed his hat back and jammed it on his head.  
  
Wufei smiled at Sally, causing Duo to raise his eyebrows. "I know she is," said Wufei. "Those are two of the things I like best about her."  
  
"Okay, even I can tell when I'm not wanted," pouted Duo, "I'm not stupid, you know."  
  
"I could argue with you about that, but it'd take too long," said Wufei, but he was still smiling faintly, his eyes still on Sally.  
  
"You're both mean," said Duo, but he was grinning again. "I really do have to go, Hilde is arriving by shuttle in about an hour."  
  
"Hilde is coming here?" asked Sally.  
  
"Yeah, she misses my manly physique," said Duo, puffing out his chest slightly. "She needs a break from the scrap yard anyway. This Preventor assignment is lasting a lot longer than I was first told. We've been apart 6 weeks now and it's killin me. I'm so gonna get laid tonight!"  
  
Wufei rolled his eyes. "Well, congratulations Maxwell, and thanks for the obscene mental image, too," he said sarcastically.  
  
"Hey, share the wealth, I always say," said Duo, laughing.  
  
"I need to discuss something in private with Wufei," said Sally, "so you're welcome to leave anytime in the next 5 seconds."  
  
Wufei smirked. "She knows there's no sense being tactful with you, Duo. Get out."  
  
"I'm so hurt!" said Duo, wiping away a non-existent tear.  
  
"Leave!" roared Wufei, picking up a plastic tumbler and throwing it at Duo. He neatly caught it and handed it to Sally.  
  
"Abuse of hospital property, not nice, Wu-man." He ducked as Wufei picked up the empty plastic pitcher and made as if to throw it next.  
  
"I'm outta here!" he sang as he dove through the door.  
  
"Glad to see you're feeling up to sparring with Duo again," said Sally, holding out her hand for the pitcher. He handed it to her and she set in on the nightstand.  
  
"I'd mock him with my dying breath, so that means nothing as an indicator of my health," said Wufei, still glaring at the door.  
  
"If I didn't know how much you really love him, I'd be worried," said Sally, sitting down and taking out her patient folder.  
  
"Love is a strong word," said Wufei. "I'm not really comfortable with the words 'Duo' and 'love' in the same sentence."  
  
"Nevertheless, it applies," Sally said, smiling at him. "I have too much evidence to the contrary."  
  
Wufei folded his arms and hmph'ed under his breath.  
  
"What did you want to discuss with me?" he asked, changing the subject.  
  
"To be blunt, your upcoming bone graft surgeries. You have two scheduled by Carruthers in the next 3 weeks. The good news is that 3 days after the second one, you can go home."  
  
"Home?" Wufei repeated as though it were a foreign tongue.  
  
"Well, actually, Quatre's home, but it's got to be better than this," Sally indicated the room around her. It was pleasant enough but had that impersonal monotone atmosphere of most hospital rooms and motels.  
  
"True," he said, moving restlessly in his bed.  
  
"So, I'm gonna be butchered twice before I'm out of here," he sighed and his shoulders sagged a little. "Can I ask you a favor?"  
  
"What is it?" she asked. He was usually too proud to ask for much. Fortunately, Quatre was a very perceptive person and had anticipated many of his needs, bringing books and a few personal items from Wufei's apartment.  
  
"Can I go outside?" he asked, so plaintively that she flashed back to the 15 year old boy he'd been when she first met him.  
  
"In a wheelchair, yes," she said, "I'll have one brought down. I had no idea you were such a nature lover," she teased gently.  
  
"It's just that I haven't been outside of this hospital in almost a month," he said. "Does the rest of the world still exist? I know it's there on the television, but it's not the same."  
  
"There's a park across the street, would you like me to take you there?" she asked him.  
  
"Oh, please, yes, if it's not too much trouble," he said, ever polite.  
  
She walked over to the phone and picked it up, pushing a few buttons. "Barry, could you bring a wheelchair with a left leg extension support to Mr. Chang's room, 1046.. Yes, that's right." She hung up.  
  
"See, that wasn't so hard," she said, "and I'm off for the afternoon, so everything works out fine."  
  
"Now, we have to find you something to wear," said Sally, "because you can't go out in that!" She pointed at his hospital gown and bathrobe. "I think I have just the thing though. Be right back."  
  
She came back about 15 minutes later carrying a pair of black nylon exercise pants that snapped up the sides and a lightweight white sweatshirt.  
  
"I had Quatre bring these from your apartment and I've been keeping them in my locker, for when you go home," she explained. "Not too bad, right?"  
  
"They're perfect," said Wufei.  
  
Barry, the orderly who had brought the wheelchair helped him dress and then picked him up carefully and sat him in the chair, adjusting the leg support to hold his injured leg horizontal to the ground.  
  
"Well, come on then," said Sally, "Let's blow this taco stand!" She grabbed the handles of the wheelchair and pushed him out the doorway.  
  
Wufei shook his head at her. "You've been hanging around Maxwell too much," he told her. "You're starting to talk like him."  
  
"How awful," she said with a straight face.  
  
"Yes, it would be," he said, "One Duo in a lifetime is enough."  
  
They rode down the elevator in silence, and came to the first floor, where she spoke briefly with the nurse at the front desk and then pushed him through the automatic doors outside into the bright summer sunshine.  
  
He closed his eyes against the assault of full sun until his they adjusted.  
  
"Sorry, I should have brought you some sunglasses," Sally said, pulling her own out of her pocket and slipping them on.  
  
"I'm fine," he murmured, turning his face up to the warmth of the sun, eyes still closed. "It feels good."  
  
"The park is shady anyway," she shrugged, pushing him across the crosswalk out front. "Lots of trees."  
  
"Sounds nice," he said absently, simply enjoying being anywhere but being in bed.  
  
She found an empty bench under an elm tree beside a small duck pond and parked his wheelchair there, setting the brake, and they sat in comfortable silence for a long time.  
  
He reached over and took her nearest hand and placed it on the arm of the chair, and held it, rubbing his thumb along each of her fingers in turn, then squeezing it.  
  
She squeezed his hand lightly in return. "That was nice," she said.  
  
"Yes," he said simply. "I wish." he trailed off.  
  
"You wish what?" she asked, moving closer and squeezing his hand again.  
  
"I wish this was all over and I had my life back again," he sighed. "Such as it was, anyway."  
  
"What you mean, 'such as it was'?" she asked.  
  
"All I really have is my work," he said, "I don't even have a pet, nothing I can't just walk away from. Nothing," he repeated softly.  
  
"Sounds lonely." Sally squeezed his hand again and then leaned over put her head gently against his upper arm.  
  
"Not that I couldn't say the same thing," she admitted. "I pretty much have my work and that's it. I love it, don't get me wrong, but sometimes, you know."  
  
"I know." His hand lightly traced circles on hers. She could feel the calluses made by years of sword training.  
  
"Wufei?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I've arranged to take two weeks off when you leave the hospital. I want to spend them with you. May I?" Sally picked up her head and looked at him as he met her eyes.  
  
"All right," he said finally. "But I can't imagine why you'd want to spend your vacation with someone who's incapacitated. Surely you have something more interesting ways to use your time. You deserve to have some fun, go somewhere, meet someone.." He turned his head away.  
  
"You aren't trying to get rid of me, are you?" she asked lightly, but she nibbled her lip nervously.  
  
"No, of course not," he said, "I've offended you, haven't I?"  
  
"Please don't push me away," she said, "I wouldn't force myself to spend time with someone out of pity or for any other reason than simple enjoyment. I like being with you."  
  
"You're sure?" he asked.  
  
"Positive. Let me know when you want to go back to your room."  
  
"Never," he said, smiling faintly.  
  
"Stubborn!" she swatted his arm lightly.  
  
"Yes, I am," he said.  
  
"Proud of it, too." She sighed in an exaggerated way.  
  
"Yes, I am."  
  
"You're probably the most impossible man I've ever met," she said, smiling at him.  
  
"But you like me anyway," he mused. "Interesting."  
  
"I know. I wonder about that myself. Maybe I should get therapy?" she teased.  
  
"But then you wouldn't like me anymore." He smiled at her.  
  
"Well, then, forget it," she said, laughing a little. "I'll just have to learn to live with my imperfections."  
  
"I suppose I will too," he said, soberly, looking down at his injured leg.  
  
"If I can do it, so can you." She stood up and went behind him. Impulsively she bent over and kissed him lightly on top of the head.  
  
"Come on, let's have a change of scenery." 


	8. 3 and 4 do not equal 5

Who's a Weak Onna?  
  
Chapter 8  
  
3+4 does not equal 5  
  
(AN: I appreciate all the reviews. I'd like more, because this is my first long GW fic, my others have been short stories and one shots. Please, review! I know that the Wufei/Sally pairing isn't a lot of people's favorite. At some GW sites, Wufei just doesn't get equal billing with some of the other characters. One web mistress even admitted that she doesn't like him (she blames his seeming misogynist tendencies, which I have a theory about; that psych background comes in handy at last!). Poor Wuffers! I'm odd, I suppose, I find him fascinating. But, I like challenging characters, and that's true in real life, too.)  
  
"So, today is the big day, Mr. Chang," said Lisa Johnson brightly, opening the blinds in his hospital room. "You get to go home at last."  
  
He was already awake. "Yes, I'm looking forward to it," he said politely, although cheerful people early in the morning were not on his list of favorite things.  
  
Sally came into the room as Lisa was clearing away the remnants of breakfast.  
  
"You didn't eat much," she commented, as Lisa left the room.  
  
"Not hungry," he said shortly, folding his arms.  
  
"I know hospital food is pretty bland," she said, "but it's also necessary for you to eat well to heal. You've had 2 surgeries in the past 3 weeks."  
  
"Don't nag me," he said, turning his head away.  
  
"I'm not 'nagging'," she replied coolly, "I'm giving you instructions as your doctor."  
  
"It's not the food," he said, "Believe me, I've eaten much worse. Don't forget I spent a little time as a prisoner of OZ."  
  
"Oh, so that's the only comparison that comes to mind about your stay here?" she grinned faintly.  
  
"It's the closest one that comes to mind," he said, but he turned back to face her.  
  
"Well then, looking forward to being sprung?" she said, coming over and sitting next to him on the bed.  
  
"I think so," he said, exhaling. "To be honest, I'd rather be going home able-bodied and ready to go back to work, instead of being an invalid guest of the Winner-Barton household."  
  
"But, it's better than nothing," she finished for him.  
  
He nodded, "I suppose."  
  
"I'm going to be smothered by those two, you realize that, don't you?" sighed Wufei.  
  
"I did get that impression, yes," said Sally, smiling again.  
  
"You're enjoying the prospect of watching me squirm under their overbearing attentions, aren't you?" he said, watching her through his eyelashes.  
  
"It'll be good for you, Dragon," she purred, then laughed as she folded his arms and scowled at her.  
  
"I couldn't ask for you to be better taken care of unless I did it myself."  
  
"The prospect of being bathed by you is infinitely more appealing than it being done by the two of them again."  
  
He looked at her and then turned slightly pink under his caramel colored skin when he realized what he'd just said.  
  
"Um, I didn't mean that the way it sounded."  
  
"What did you mean, then," she asked, trying not to giggle.  
  
"Nothing, um, nothing."  
  
"Right." She graciously let it drop. She was always surprised that he was so easily embarrassed about some things. After all, he'd seen and done things as a soldier that would horrify most people.  
  
"Would you like to hear some good news?" she asked him.  
  
"Of course," he replied. "Especially if it's about my leg."  
  
" It is," she answered him. "According to the latest CAT scans, you've gained back 76% of normal bone mass in your left femur. That's about 25% more than we anticipated."  
  
"What does that mean in plain English. Or Chinese, for that matter," he asked, frowning.  
  
"It means you're ready for physical therapy and crutches," she said smiling at him. "In a week or so, nor more wheelchair!"  
  
"Really?" he asked grabbing her arms eagerly and looking into her eyes.  
  
"I wouldn't lie about something like that," she replied. "But, you're going to have to take it slowly. You've been on your back for almost 2 months and standing upright is going to be an adjustment at first. And, you're going to have to go home in a wheelchair, hospital rules."  
  
He smiled. It was a genuine smile of pure happiness and the next thing she knew she was being caught in a fierce embrace.  
  
"That's the best news I've heard in weeks."  
  
She was so overwhelmed that she couldn't speak. She felt heat going to places it had no business going as she slowly returned the embrace.  
  
She took a deep breath and it was full of that warm clean masculine scent laced with sandalwood that she had come to associate with him.  
  
She exhaled slowly, not wanting to let go of it.  
  
"Are you all right?" he asked politely, looking down into her face, which was against his shoulder.  
  
"I'm fine," she whispered. "I'm wonderful."  
  
"Sally?" he said, "What is it?"  
  
He tightened his arms around her.  
  
"I'm just enjoying this," she admitted, taking her head off of his shoulder and returning his steady gaze.  
  
Her bright blue almond eyes were wide and she was breathing hard with her mouth slightly opened. It seemed like an invitation and so he tilted his head down to brush his lips lightly against hers.  
  
"Please," she whispered, "Again."  
  
He obliged, taking his time and deepening the kiss, which she began to return, moving her lips to press against his. He felt her tongue brush against his lower lip and he opened his mouth to do the same. A little whimper came involuntarily from her mouth as he broke away to take a deep breath.  
  
"Sorry, I think I got a little carried away," he said, gently pushing her away.  
  
"Don't apologize," she said, sliding her hands down his arms and then taking both of his hands. "I've been wanting you to do that for years."  
  
He raised his eyebrows at her. "Why didn't you tell me, then? I've been right here, all this time."  
  
"I don't know, I just thought, well, that you were still mourning Meiran."  
  
"Meiran?" he repeated. "I see." He nodded his head. "Because I told you she was my reason to live, to fight."  
  
"Yes." Sally looked at him. "I didn't think I could compete with that."  
  
"You can't." he said. He looked away and didn't see her eyes slowly fill up with tears.  
  
"I don't expect anyone to compete with my memories of Meiran," he said, turning back around to face her. "But they're just memories, now. I can't live on memories. No one can."  
  
"I've upset you, I'm sorry," he said, tilting up her chin and seeing the tears in her eyes.  
  
"You hate crying, it's weak," she said.  
  
"I've never seen you cry before, Sally," he said, "And you're not weak. I don't know anyone else as strong as you are. It's your strength I've come to rely on."  
  
He pressed his lips against her closed eyelids, tasting the tears that now overflowed onto her cheeks.  
  
"There's no reason to cry," he said, trailing kisses down her cheek and finally taking her lips again in a soft kiss.  
  
"Happy tears, now," she said. "I was just afraid you were going to push me away again. Don't ever do that, please."  
  
"I won't," he said. "I don't want you to go away."  
  
He pulled her against him again, burying his face in the soft golden brown hair at her neck.  
  
"Ahem," a voice said loudly from the doorway.  
  
"Quatre! Trowa!" said Sally, pulling away quickly and scooting over to the edge of the bed.  
  
"Sorry about the interruption," said Quatre, grinning widely.  
  
"We're here to collect our house guest," he said, coming over. Trowa was behind him, a smirk on his face.  
  
"I lost track of the time," said Sally, jumping up and looking quickly at her watch. Her lips were slightly swollen, her hair was mussed and she had drying tear streaks on her cheeks.  
  
"I noticed," said Trowa, dryly, as Quatre bit his lip to keep from laughing.  
  
"I'll call for a wheelchair," said Sally, picking up the phone.  
  
"Come on, Trowa, lets get his stuff together," said Quatre, beginning to open drawers. Trowa produced a dufflebag and they proceeded to stuff it neatly with Wufei's few belongings.  
  
"This is going to be so much fun!" Quatre smiled at Wufei.  
  
Wufei sighed and nodded reluctantly. "I suppose so."  
  
Trowa caught Wufei's eye over Quatre's head and shrugged.  
  
"You know how he gets," Trowa said, pulling Quatre close to him from behind and kissing him on the hair.  
  
"I know, I'm too sentimental," said Quatre, hugging Trowa's arms.  
  
"I think you're perfect, mon amour," said Trowa, nuzzling Quatre on the back of the neck.  
  
"Get a room, you two!" said Duo, coming up behind them with Hilde in tow.  
  
"We're just taking our cue from Sally and Wufei," said Quatre evilly, grinning at Duo.  
  
"Oh no, what'd I miss?" said Duo, looking from one face to another. "Sumthin juicy?"  
  
"Nothing that's any of your business, Maxwell," growled Wufei, glaring at the braided young man.  
  
"Don't be so nosey, Liebhan," said Hilde, cuffing him lightly on the back of the head.  
  
"OW!" said Duo, loudly, although she'd barely touched him.  
  
"Thank you," said Wufei. "I've been wanting to do that for 6 weeks."  
  
Everyone laughed, even Duo.  
  
"You'll pay for that later, wench," vowed Duo, reaching around and giving Hilde a slight pinch on her firm derriere.  
  
She squealed and slapped him lightly on the head again.  
  
"Don't you two ever stop?" said a monotone voice behind them.  
  
"Heero!" said Quatre, turning around. "And Relena, too. We're honored."  
  
"I'm sorry I haven't been able to come more often," said Relena, coming into the room. "I have so many responsibilities. It's ridiculously time consuming."  
  
She smiled graciously and went over to the bed and offered Wufei her hand, which he took in a light grasp.  
  
"I'm pleased you could take time to come," said Wufei, bowing his head slightly over her offered hand.  
  
"I couldn't miss your finally going home," she said, as Heero came up and stood beside her. "I know that Quatre and Trowa will take excellent care of you until you're fully recovered."  
  
"I'm sure they will too, Relena," Wufei nodded.  
  
"I hate to spoil this family reunion," said Sally, "But we're all going to have to leave for a few minutes so that Wufei can change and get ready to leave."  
  
"Sure," said Duo, "Unless you want me to hang around and give him a hand." He gave an evil chuckle.  
  
"I'd rather have an ice pick shoved under my fingernail than be dressed by you, Maxwell," said Wufei, giving him a forbidding look.  
  
"Aw, I was sort of looking forward to playing dress up with the Wu-man," said Duo, sticking out his tongue. "Trowa and Q-man get all the fun," he pouted.  
  
"I think Wufei can handle it by himself now," said Sally, ushering them all out the door. "We'll be back in about 15 minutes," she said to Wufei.  
  
"Are you sure you don't need some help?" asked Quatre as he was about to leave.  
  
"I'm sure," said Wufei, making vague shooing motions with his hands.  
  
He sighed. "Like drowning in a vat of honey," he said to himself as he slowly got dressed.  
  
"  
  
"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	9. Two Weeks

Who's a Weak Onna?  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Two Weeks  
  
(AN: Ah Hael, Sanosuke, and all others who gave me such great reviews, thanks again. If I can't have quantity, I'll gladly take quality. Ah Hael, I love your stories too, I just read "She's Sandrock" and it is so great just like "A Woman Called Deathscythe". I love the ESP angle of your story premise. And the lovely citrus! *Fanning myself! * Sanosuke, I think you've found your sphere of expertise, your new RK story has a great voice. After I read it, I had a nightmare I was back in high school! You understand the ins and outs of relationship dynamics really well.)  
  
"I had the staff make up a room for you on the first floor," Quatre explained to Wufei on the ride over in the limo. "It was a spare room I had my exercise equipment in, and we moved all that out and got it ready a few weeks ago."  
  
"So much trouble," said Wufei, stretched out sideways on the limo's leather seat. Sally sat next to him, providing a comfortable rest for his back.  
  
"No trouble at all," said Quatre soothingly, "I have people standing around just waiting to do things like this. They'd be bored silly otherwise. They're always complaining I don't give them enough to do. Just Trowa and I there most of the time."  
  
"I'll find some way to repay you," Wufei began, only to have Quatre emphatically shake his head.  
  
"I don't need repayment, not financially, anyway. The pleasure of doing something for my friends is it's own reward. You can repay me by being good company and getting well."  
  
They arrived at Quatre's large estate, a few miles outside of the city.  
  
"Here we are," said Quatre, unnecessarily. Several people were standing in the driveway, Rashid among them.  
  
"Rashid, can you assist Wufei?" asked Quatre, climbing out.  
  
"Certainly, Master Quatre," rumbled Rashid.  
  
He bent and lifted Wufei easily out of the seat and deposited him in a waiting wheelchair. Wufei felt like a child in the huge man's arms and he scowled faintly at the feeling of helplessness.  
  
Sally and Trowa came out next, and Sally took the handles of the wheelchair.  
  
Various people were unloading the limousine and carrying luggage and boxes into the mansion.  
  
A temporary wooden ramp had been placed over one side of the stairs leading up to the large veranda and the double doors.  
  
"I had this made to get you in and out easier," said Quatre to Wufei.  
  
Wufei sighed. More inconvenience because of his infirmity. He HAD to get out of this wheelchair and on his feet again!  
  
"Are you all right?" Sally asked him, hearing the sharp exhalation.  
  
"I'm fine," he said petulantly, thrusting out his chin.  
  
She said nothing, but recognized the tension in his shoulders and neck as a sign that all was not well.  
  
"Ah, my Dragon, so proud," she thought, as she followed Rashid and Quatre inside the huge marble-floored foyer.  
  
"It's this way," said Quatre, ushering them through a large common room with a fireplace and into a hallway.  
  
There was a double door and Quatre opened it. Inside, there was a large bed with a red silk duvet and lacquered black Asian style furniture.  
  
In fact, the whole décor scheme of the room looked as though it had been done with Wufei in mind.  
  
Quatre blushed. "Well, what do you think?"  
  
Wufei looked around him in frank astonishment. "Unbelievable!" he whispered.  
  
"I wanted you to feel at home," Quatre explained, shifting in embarrassment.  
  
"You've outdone yourself," said Wufei gravely. "It's magnificent."  
  
"I'm so glad you like it," said Quatre, blushing again.  
  
"Like is an understatement," said Wufei, shaking his head.  
  
"I'm having the staff put your things away," said Quatre, "What's not already here, anyway. I hope you don't mind," he added graciously.  
  
"You should have seen Duo's face when I told him he wouldn't have to pick the lock to your apartment, I already had the key," said Quatre, smiling.  
  
"I think Wufei has had enough excitement today," said Sally, putting a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Trowa, can you help me get him into bed?"  
  
Wufei closed his eyes. He was exhausted. And he was already thoroughly sick of everyone coddling him, referring to him in the third person and changing rooms and stairways to accommodate his weakness.  
  
Sally pushed the chair up next to the bed and Trowa told Wufei, "Put your arms around my neck."  
  
Wufei did so, unconsciously stiffening at the brief contact.  
  
The bed was like a cloud, Wufei thought. He lay back on piled high pillows and closed his eyes. He was so glad it wasn't a hospital bed.  
  
"Comfy?" said Trowa, smiling faintly down at him. Wufei nodded, half asleep already.  
  
"Let's all leave and let him get some rest," said Sally. Quatre and Trowa nodded. The staff had finished and left quietly moments earlier.  
  
"Sally," said Wufei, holding out his hand. "Stay?" he mumbled.  
  
She nodded. "I'll sit with you a while."  
  
The others left.  
  
"Do you need something for pain?" she asked him, reaching for her bag.  
  
"You," he said quietly. He patted the duvet next to him. "Please?"  
  
She knew he was barely awake, because he'd reverted to Mandarin.  
  
"Of course," she replied in the same language.  
  
She sat down on the other side of the large bed and reached down and took off her shoes.  
  
She put her feet up on the duvet.  
  
He reached over and tugged on her hand. "Closer."  
  
She complied, scooting until she was next to him. "How's this?" she asked.  
  
He put his arm around her waist and leaned his head onto her lap. "Perfect."  
  
She stroked his sleek hair, pushing back a few stray strands from his face and tucking them behind his ear. He sighed and shifted slightly, but his breathing was even.  
  
"Two weeks, Dragon," she whispered. She closed her own eyes. The stress of the last month began to wash out of her and she was asleep before she knew it.  
  
A polite tap on her shoulder awakened her several hours later.  
  
"Dr. Po?"  
  
She looked up into the face of an attractive young woman with a tray laden with food and a steaming pot of tea.  
  
"I have your luncheon here," the young woman said, smiling. She was obviously a relative of one of the Magunuacs, dark-eyed, with long dark hair braided back on the sides.  
  
"Thank you, uh." said Sally, not knowing the girl's name.  
  
"Isabel," supplied the girl, graciously, setting the tray on a nearby table.  
  
"Mr. Winner thought you might like to eat in here."  
  
"Yes, it's wonderful," said Sally, looking at the tray.  
  
"Thank you, Isabel" said Sally, beginning to realize how hungry she was.  
  
She also realized that Wufei's body was completely pressed up against hers, and he was still asleep. She'd fallen asleep spooned up against his side, one arm flung over him.  
  
Isabel smiled, and left, but not before she demonstrated the intercom in case she or Wufei wanted something else.  
  
Sally rubbed Wufei's shoulder lightly to wake him. He needed to eat.  
  
"Wake up," she whispered in Mandarin in his ear. He groaned faintly and batted at her hand.  
  
"Go 'way" he mumbled. "Don't need another shot," he said, "Vampires."  
  
Sally grinned, "It's Sally," she said, in English. "No vampires."  
  
He opened sleepy, sloe eyes. "Sally?" he said. "What're you doing in bed with me?" He looked disoriented.  
  
"You've been asleep. You asked me to sit next to you and I guess I fell asleep too." She smiled down at him.  
  
"I thought I was dreaming," he said, covering a yawn.  
  
"Me too," she said gently. She pointed at the tray. "They brought lunch, it looks good," she said to him, "I was hoping you'd eat something."  
  
"I'm hungry," he said, trying to sit up. She reached around his shoulders and gave him a support to pull himself up without using his leg.  
  
"I don't remember falling asleep," he said, looking at her. Her arm was still around him.  
  
"You were exhausted," she said. She liked the way his face looked upon waking, softer and the gentle way his eyes looked half closed.  
  
He grunted faintly. "I guess I must have been, and you too. You've been working too hard. I'm sorry."  
  
"Sorry for what?" She asked, reaching over to the tray and lifting off the covers and sniffing.  
  
"Mm, sesame chicken," she said, "I wonder how they knew that was my favorite?"  
  
"I'm sorry for making you worry," Wufei said quietly.  
  
"You can't help me worrying about you, because I care about you," said Sally, taking a plate and piling it with chicken and fruit.  
  
"Here," she said, "quit needlessly apologizing to me and eat."  
  
She handed him the plate and a pair of chopsticks. "Does Quatre always think of everything?" she asked, shaking her head.  
  
"Yes, he always did. Don't let his mildness fool you, he has a mind like a steel trap," said Wufei.  
  
"I'm impressed," said Sally. "This is really good."  
  
"Yes, it is."  
  
They ate in comfortable silence, broken only by Wufei's requests for condiments and more of this or that.  
  
Finally, he lay back against the pillows with a large sigh.  
  
"Feeling better?" she asked him, taking the plate and putting in on the tray.  
  
"Sally, when can I get my crutches?" he asked, ignoring her question.  
  
"I brought them with me," she said, "but I want you to start slowly. Remember what I told you. You'll have to get used to being upright again. You might feel dizzy at first. Don't try to use them without someone being there at first."  
  
He frowned at her. "I won't," he said, "but I'm so tired of lying around!" His voice rose in complaint.  
  
"I know it's hard," she said, reaching over to pat his arm. He shrugged off her hand.  
  
"No, you don't" he snapped. "It hasn't been you lying around like a weakling for two months. It hasn't been you that was filleted a fish, poked with needles, subjected to hundreds of indignities upon your person. And it's not you that might not ever walk normally again. I don't want to hear how you KNOW all about it!"  
  
Sally sat back in surprise at the rant. Not that she hadn't seen it building up for weeks now. But it still hurt to have him lash out at her like that.  
  
She swallowed, trying to control her reactions, but she was sure the hurt showed plainly on her face.  
  
"I'm sorry," she whispered, averting her eyes. "It was wrong of me to assume I know what you're going through because I don't."  
  
She rose. "I'll have these things cleared and leave you alone, if that's what you want."  
  
"Sally!" he said through his clenched teeth. "You don't have to leave, unless you want to."  
  
"I think I want to." She bent over and slipped on her shoes.  
  
"I'll have someone come and take this tray, and see to your needs. I need to take a walk. I'll be back later."  
  
He looked stricken.  
  
She walked out of the door without looking back.  
  
He pulled his hand over his face and mumbled, "I'm sorry," several times in Mandarin.  
  
"I'm such an asshole," he muttered to the empty room. 


	10. Unexpected Sympathy

Who's a Weak Onna?  
  
Chapter 10  
  
Unexpected Sympathy  
  
The extensive gardens around the Winner estate made a good place to hide out, Sally found.  
  
She had ended up in a secluded section of the English wildflower garden, sitting on a small stone wall with a bubbling fishpond near her feet. Shade trees added to the seclusion, which was almost complete.  
  
It was a good place to cry one's heart out as she was ever going to find, so she gave in and did so.  
  
Finally, liquid sobs became dry choking sounds and then, irregular catches of breath and hiccups. She found herself wishing she had a drink of water or a cup of tea, but that would involve moving and there was no way she was going to show her face until she had total control of herself again.  
  
She startled as she heard quiet footsteps behind her on the cobbled path. Quickly scrubbing her face with her hands, she attempted to regulate her breathing and looked over her shoulder.  
  
"Good afternoon, Sally," said Trowa. "Or is it?"  
  
"I'm sorry that you found me having an acute attack of self-pity," said Sally, sighing and rubbing her face again.  
  
"Why?" asked Trowa, coming over to sit beside her on the stone wall.  
  
"It's unjustified," she said, "after all, I'm not the one who's been suffering for 2 months."  
  
"Are you sure about that?" asked Trowa. "It seems to me that we've all been suffering a little."  
  
Sally couldn't remember the last time she'd heard him say more than a few words to anyone but Quatre, and she said so.  
  
Trowa smiled. "I'm a better listener than I am a talker, I suppose."  
  
"Don't apologize," said Sally, "most people do far more talking than listening and doing so, miss quite a bit."  
  
"That's what Quatre says, too." The softening of Trowa's lean angular features bespoke of his love for his partner.  
  
"You're so lucky," said Sally. "A lot of people never find someone to love the way you two love each other."  
  
"Don't think I don't know it," said Trowa.  
  
He leaned over and put his arm around Sally, surprising her. She knew he wasn't a particularly demonstrative person, at least with anyone but his partner.  
  
"Don' t be sad," he said. "I hate it when people I care about are sad." His brilliant green eyes shined with unshed tears.  
  
"Wufei is sad, too," he went on. "Did you have words?"  
  
"Yes," said Sally simply. She began to cry again, which surprised her. She would have thought there was nothing left of tears in her.  
  
"Come back to the house with me," said Trowa, pulling her up. "You need a cup of tea. It always works for Quatre," he said, smiling faintly.  
  
Sally gulped and Trowa produced a clean square of handkerchief from the pocket of his khaki colored jeans, and she took it gratefully and wiped her eyes.  
  
"I always keep one in my pocket. Quatre is rather a leaky person sometimes," he grinned at her for a brief second. "I never let him watch those advertisements by the Humane Society at the end of the news, or we'd be up to our knees in kittens and puppies."  
  
She laughed ruefully. "I'm usually not too sentimental, but then again, I've never been in love with anyone before."  
  
Trowa nodded, taking her arm and walking back towards the house.  
  
"That definitely changes everything," he said.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Wufei shifted restlessly in the large silk covered bed. Never being much of a television watcher, he'd exhausted those possibilities a few hours ago.  
  
A book he'd asked for lay opened on the bed, unread. He was utterly, insanely and completely bored.  
  
There was only one thing he wanted, and it had left 3 hours ago. Or rather person, he corrected mentally. Sally was not a "thing".  
  
He only wished he'd have had that illuminating thought before he'd opened his mouth and accused her of being as insensitive as he apparently was himself.  
  
It was a disturbing thought.  
  
He'd always thought himself impeccably polite; after all, he'd been raised to be. He was beginning to discern there was considerable difference between politeness and sensitivity.  
  
"I'm such a jerk," he muttered, using one of Duo Maxwell's favorite words for him. The thought that Duo could have made a more accurate assessment of his personality than anyone could made him even more depressed than he already was.  
  
He pushed the button on the intercom.  
  
"May I have a cup of green tea, please?" he asked a female voice that answered somewhat indistinctly on the other end.  
  
"Certainly," said the voice, "I'll be right there."  
  
He rested his head in his hands. Maybe some meditation would clear his head, even if he couldn't sit in the comfortable half lotus position he was accustomed to.  
  
He rested his hands palm up on his knees, one leg folded, the other in it's cast straight out in front of him and closed his eyes.  
  
Focusing on the inner mental image of a serene pool of still water, he gradually allowed his muscles to relax, practically hearing the gentle liquid sounds of lapping softly against the edges of the pool.  
  
He was totally immersed in that image when Sally came into the room with a tea tray.  
  
She sat it down soundlessly and quietly took a red, satin covered ottoman at the foot of the bed. She gazed at his face in gentle repose, the strain of pain and anxiety eased from his strong distinct features.  
  
"He's beautiful," she thought, "although he'd be horrified if I used that word." She smiled to herself at the thought.  
  
She debated whether she should disturb his meditations or wait and risk cold tea later, and decided to wait. After all, water could be easily heated, but this was the most peaceful she'd seen Wufei in a few weeks.  
  
"Well," she thought, "there's nothing that says I have to wait for my tea," and very carefully began to prepare herself a cup.  
  
Taking a tea ball full of green tea, she lowered it into the teapot of steaming water and allowed it to steep for a full minute. Just long enough to get the full flavor, but not long enough to turn bitter.  
  
She took a porcelain cup and saucer, she carefully poured the fragrant beverage and raised it to her lips, sipping a bit. It was still quite hot.  
  
She felt it trail down her throat and warm her stomach, relaxing her. Unconsciously, she exhaled loudly.  
  
Wufei's eyes fluttered open at the faint sound. "Sally," he said in a low voice. "You're back."  
  
"I brought your tea," she said, quickly setting down her cup and pouring him one. "Here, drink while it's still hot."  
  
He took the offered cup and took a tiny sip. "It's fine, thank you," he said, not raising his eyes. "You didn't make it too bitter."  
  
"Of course not," she said, a bit defensively. Hearing the tone of her voice, she took a deep breath. "I mean, I'm fussy about how my tea is made too."  
  
He nodded, saying nothing and took a larger swallow.  
  
He closed his eyes and sat the cup and saucer on the thigh of his uninjured leg.  
  
"Sally, I want to apologize," he said, "I had no right to speak to you as I did. I only hope you can forgive me." He kept his eyes lowered through this speech, not daring to look at her.  
  
She nodded, "No, you shouldn't have spoken to me like that. Apology accepted. Let's not speak of it again."  
  
He inclined his head. "As you wish."  
  
He raised his eyes to hers finally, and saw that a faint smile graced her lips.  
  
"You're not angry with me anymore?" he couldn't resist asking.  
  
"I was never angry with you," she replied, "I was hurt."  
  
"Hurt?" he asked, a puzzled frown between his eyes.  
  
"Yes, I was hurt that you didn't feel free to tell me how you were feeling before you had to explode like that. After all, there's nothing you can't say to me, or at least I thought you knew that. That's the way it is between.. Friends," she finished.  
  
"Friends," he repeated. "I had hoped.." He let the sentence trail off. "It's too soon," he thought and I've just offended her too. He pressed his lips together.  
  
"Hoped what?" she asked, not willing to let it go.  
  
"Nothing," he said resolutely, picking up his cup.  
  
"Nothing?" she repeated. "Are you sure?"  
  
His face grew uncomfortably warm. "I was going to say, I hoped that eventually we could be more than friends."  
  
He almost choked on the last few words, but forced them out.  
  
"I understand if that idea is repugnant to you now," he said formally. "After all, I'm guilty of treating you rather badly."  
  
"I thought we weren't going to speak of that again," said Sally with mock severity. "And, the idea isn't 'repugnant' to me," she added. She smiled at him and put her head to one side.  
  
"Are you always this self-effacing when you've screwed up?"  
  
His head jerked up. "No," he said, honestly, but with a trace of a smile. "I'm usually an arrogant jackass."  
  
Sally laughed. "That's what I thought."  
  
She rose and came over, sitting on the edge of the bed next to him.  
  
"Well, as long as you KNOW you're an arrogant jackass," she began, "I think I can deal with it."  
  
She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
She was slightly surprised to see color come to his face.  
  
"What a shy Dragon you are sometimes," she murmured, putting her face along his cheek and turning his face gently towards hers. She put her lips to his and he responded by pulling her down into his arms.  
  
"Sally," he gasped. His eyes were closed and his mouth trailed along her jaw until he found her lips and he pulled her bottom lip into his mouth and suckled it.  
  
She was vaguely aware of him moaning and his breath hot in her mouth, his tongue moving in an erotic imitation of what their bodies desired to do.  
  
Her head was spinning and she had to reluctantly pull away to gasp for much needed air.  
  
"Wow," she said, which sounded so stupid in her own ears that she began to giggle, partly from reaction. She wasn't sure she could stand, her knees felt like pudding.  
  
"Did I do something funny," demanded Wufei, not sure of whether he was being laughed at.  
  
"NO," said Sally emphatically, although she was still giggling slightly. "I'm just a bit hysterical, I think," she said, shaking her head. "Believe me, I'm NOT laughing at you."  
  
"Women!" said Wufei in a mild tone of exasperation, but Sally saw he was smiling at her.  
  
"Yes, we're all a little insane, swimming in the estrogen ocean; deal with it!" she said, "Unless you want to play on the other team," she added, in a teasing voice.  
  
"Um, no thank you," he said, white teeth flashing in his caramel face for an instant.  
  
"I've no inclinations in that direction that I'm aware of," he added, "and believe me, I've had more than a few opportunities to find out."  
  
"Always good to know," Sally said, smiling back at him. "I like to keep an eye on the competition."  
  
"You have none," he said, "None worth mentioning."  
  
"Also good to know," she said, putting her hands on the hard planes of his chest and pushing him back on the pillows for another thorough kiss. 


	11. Walk, Don't Run

Who's a Weak Onna?  
  
Chapter 11  
  
Walk, Don't Run  
  
(AN: A reviewer complemented me on my grammar and spelling. I'm flattered. I'd better have good grammar; I'm a teacher's aide. I teach English, Writing, History, and I've taught French. I'm glad it shows. I'll put it on my resume.)  
  
Wufei looked up at the parallel bars in front of him. He handed one crutch to the physical therapist, and put that hand on the bar. Then the other one. He was now suspended with most of his weight on his arms and his good leg. Tentatively, he rested some of his weight on his injured leg.  
  
Sweat rolled down his face, partly from exertion, partly from anticipation, and though he refused to admit it to himself, partly from fear.  
  
"You're doing wonderfully," said David, his physical therapist. David was ginger-haired, muscular and short, he had the lithe but defined and flexible body of a gymnast.  
  
Wufei said nothing. It was taking most of his concentration to stay upright. He was unbelievably weak by his own estimation, after spending almost 3 months mostly in bed. His arms shook and his shoulders ached. It was embarrassing for a former Gundam pilot and a Preventor to be in such wretched physical condition.  
  
"Now, I'm going to stand behind you, Mr. Chang, and I want to try and take a step. Put your weight on your uninjured leg and try to swing your other leg forward."  
  
David had a forced cheerfulness about his manner sometimes that caused Wufei to envision running him through with his katana, just to see what he'd look like with a different expression than that broad professional smile on his face.  
  
But, Wufei had to admit David knew what he was doing. He assumed the manner was something the man had been taught to encourage uninspired patients.  
  
It was wasted on Wufei. He was inspired enough just by the idea of walking again.  
  
He gritted his teeth and swung his injured leg in front of the other. One step and it cost him that much. Pathetic!  
  
"Wonderful, just wonderful!" enthused David. Wufei refrained from giving him a baleful look from under his brows. After all, the man was just doing his job.  
  
"I want to try again," said Wufei, feeling sweat run down his back. He was wearing a white tank top and black shorts, and the top was literally wet with perspiration.  
  
"One more step and you can go home and take a bath," Wufei thought to himself. "Come on, weak onna!" he egged himself on in his thoughts.  
  
"Okay, one more," said David, nodding at him. "I'm certainly impressed with your desire to improve, Mr. Chang."  
  
"Call me Wufei," said Wufei, "After all, I'm going to be working with you 3 times a week."  
  
"I read on your file you were injured in a motorcycle accident," said David. "I had assumed it was in the line of duty you were injured at first."  
  
Wufei shot the man a look from under his arched brow. "Yes, how ironic I survived the war intact only to incapacitate myself recreating." His mouth twisted at the ridiculousness of it all.  
  
"Life does through you some odd curves now and then," said David, predictably cliché.  
  
"Yes," said Wufei, "it does."  
  
Three times a week, the limousine would deposit Wufei at the hospital's physical therapy center, and then 1 hour later, pick him up. That became his existence.  
  
That and seeing Sally.  
  
Two weeks had passed quickly. Although she had her own room at the Winner mansion, she ended up coming to his room most nights and falling asleep next to him in the large, silk covered bed.  
  
There was nothing overtly sexual about the whole arrangement. It was more a matter of pure companionship and comfort. His condition at that point just didn't allow for more. But, it was enough for the time being.  
  
Mostly, they talked, or would lie next to each other quietly, enjoying a few kisses and caresses. Sometimes, Wufei would read to her. She enjoyed the sound of his voice; even if what he was reading wasn't exactly her cup of tea. She was surprised to discover his love of poetry. Predictably, he enjoyed the classics. But one day she caught him reading a really cheesy detective novel, full of overly dramatic descriptions and overblown characters.  
  
"My secret vice," he'd admitted, grinning at her.  
  
"Nice to know you have one," she'd said.  
  
"Who says I have only one?"  
  
She'd laughed at that.  
  
"I suspect you're a secret romantic, too," she'd told him.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because you buried Meiran in a field of wildflowers," she'd said, suddenly shy and serious.  
  
He'd looked at her, his sloe eyes suddenly glittering and said, "I have a feeling you're right about that."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The morning physical therapy session had been particularly difficult today.  
  
Wufei ached in places he'd forgotten existed. He knew he was driving himself to the edge of his limits, and somehow, it felt good. And, it was Sally's day off.  
  
Spending the day with her had become the highlight of his narrow existence.  
  
He'd taken a long bath and was dressed long before she arrived for lunch.  
  
They were going to have lunch alone in the sunroom. It was like being outside, in that one whole side of the room was windows. A gentle breeze passed through the screens, propelled by quiet rotating fans on the ceiling.  
  
Sally came in, smiling at him.  
  
He gave her a quick appraisal. The warm royal blue she wore seemed to set off her bright blue almond eyes, and golden brown hair. She was wearing a simple silk dress with a high Mandarin style collar, a shift with short sleeves that subtly hugged the curves of her body. It had slits that reached to mid thigh. The legs revealed thusly were slim, with defined muscles.  
  
She never wore high heels, Wufei noted. He'd mentioned it once and she'd merely said she'd never gotten used to wearing them.  
  
She came over to him and bending from the waist, kissed him lightly on the mouth.  
  
"Have a good day today?" she asked.  
  
"It just improved tremendously."  
  
She nodded. "For me too."  
  
"I have a surprise for you."  
  
Sally raised her brows expectantly, sitting down in a chair across from him a few feet.  
  
"Sit and watch," he said.  
  
He reached around behind his chair and revealed a cane. Sally's eyebrows raised a bit higher and she clenched the arms of the chair in anticipation.  
  
Wufei stood, leaning heavily on the cane and slowly took a step. Then another, standing and panting a bit, then finally stood in front of her. She stood up and put her arms around him, and he leaned heavily on her.  
  
She held him tightly.  
  
"That was a surprise," she whispered in his ear. Her voice was unsteady.  
  
"I'm glad you liked it," he whispered back, nuzzling the side of her neck.  
  
She pulled back and their eyes met and locked.  
  
"I need to help you back to your chair," she said suddenly, feeling him sag against her.  
  
He nodded. "I think you'd better." His leg was beginning to tremble from the strain of standing, although most of his weight was on his uninjured limb.  
  
She put her arm around his back and slowly, they walked the few steps back to his seat.  
  
Isabel came in with a large tray containing their lunch. "Enjoy," she said, placing it on the wicker and glass table and discreetly leaving.  
  
The food never tasted better. 


	12. Sliding Down

Who's a Weak Onna?  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Sliding Down  
  
Four months after his accident, Wufei was now hobbling around on crutches. For short distances, a cane sufficed.  
  
He was still, in his estimation, a cripple, a weakling.  
  
Although Dr. Carruthers had assured him that he was doing far better than expected, Wufei wanted more. He wanted to be whole again.  
  
It wasn't happening fast enough.  
  
Quatre noticed it first.  
  
"I thought Wufei would be joining us for breakfast," he said to Trowa.  
  
Trowa shrugged. "Maybe he doesn't want company. Not everyone is entranced with you as I am, koi."  
  
Quatre frowned as he put down his cup of tea. "This makes four days in a row he's been in his room, except for his last physical therapy session."  
  
Sally had been working double shifts at the hospital, filling in for another doctor. She'd called every day, but Quatre knew that his friend was missing her terribly.  
  
Quatre rose, his breakfast half-eaten. "I'm going to see if there's a problem."  
  
Trowa rose, sighing. "I'd better come too, you might need backup on this."  
  
"You make it sound like we've accepted a dangerous mission," joked Quatre.  
  
"Maybe we have," said Trowa, raising one eyebrow.  
  
"Wufei, can you hear me?" Quatre was banging on the door. A soft knock had produced no response. The door was locked.  
  
"Trowa, call Duo, I want him out here right now," said Quatre.  
  
"Why?" asked Trowa.  
  
"I just have a feeling that we're going to need him," said Quatre mysteriously.  
  
Trowa nodded. "First, I'm going to get a screwdriver and take the hinges off that door."  
  
Quatre sighed. "I hate to do this, but I'm really worried. Wufei can scream injustice later if we're wrong."  
  
Trowa ran and came back shortly with a small tool chest, and proceeded to work on the door hinges. "I called Duo, he's on his way."  
  
Fifteen minutes later, he and Quatre and he lifted the door away and stepped into the room.  
  
Quatre's look of shock echoed that of his partners. The room was a mess, to put it mildly.  
  
Dirty clothing was everywhere, as apparently Wufei had not let the maids in for a few days. Books and magazines were scattered about, and in the middle of the unmade bed, Wufei lay curled up practically in the fetal position.  
  
He was apparently asleep, and was unshaven, unwashed, his hair lying in a tangled halo around his face.  
  
He had on dirty white silk pajamas, Quatre noticed. He sighed. It was so out of character for his normally fastidious friend to be lying here this way that that alone was indicative that something was terribly wrong.  
  
"Wufei," said Quatre, coming over to the bed and sitting on the edge. He reached out tentatively, not wanting to startle Wufei, and gently rubbed his shoulder, calling his name again.  
  
Wufei merely grunted and pulled himself into a tighter ball, shrugging off Quatre's hand.  
  
Trowa went to the other side of the bed to try to peer into Wufei's face.  
  
"He's not really asleep, Quatre," he said with a worried look. "It's like he's just blocking everything. I think we should call Sally right away."  
  
"You're right," said Quatre. Trowa quickly dialed a number on the vidphone in the room.  
  
Sally's face appeared after a few seconds. "What's wrong?" she asked in faintly alarmed tone. "I was told this is an emergency?"  
  
"Yes," said Trowa. "It's Wufei. He hasn't been out of his room for days, so Quatre and I broke in this morning. Sally, he's just laying here, and we can't get him to respond."  
  
Sally's gasp was audible though the connection. "I'll be there as soon as I can. Don't leave him!" she cautioned.  
  
Trowa nodded. "We'll be right here."  
  
They heard Duo's voice in the hallway. "Wufei!" he was yelling.  
  
He came in the room and stopped, taking in the scene.  
  
"Well, shit, this looks bad," he said, coming over to the bed.  
  
"Wufei!" Duo said loudly, kicking off his shoes and bouncing the bed as he knelt beside the dark-haired man.  
  
Hey, buddy, it's Duo," he reached over and lightly slapped Wufei on the face.  
  
Wufei flinched away from the annoyance, and his eyes flickered open.  
  
He grunted again, closing his eyes tightly. "Go 'way," he mumbled, flailing out with one hand in Duo's direction.  
  
Duo grabbed the hand, "No fuckin' way!" he yelled, putting his face close to Wufei's.  
  
Wufei groaned, trying to push Duo's hands away.  
  
"You know that's not gonna work with me!" yelled Duo, grabbing Wufei by the shoulders and wrenching him upright. Wufei's eyes remained tightly and deliberately closed.  
  
"Open your eyes," growled Duo, slapping him lightly on the face again.  
  
"No," Wufei mumbled, turning his head away.  
  
"Duo!" said Quatre, "Are you sure this is the right thing to do?"  
  
"We can't just let him curl up and die!" retorted Duo, shaking Wufei lightly by the shoulders.  
  
"Wufei, did you take sumthin?" asked Duo, putting his face close to the other man's.  
  
"Pills," said Wufei, mumbling again.  
  
"Pain pills?" asked Duo, looking around.  
  
"Mm." Said Wufei.  
  
"How many?" asked Duo, shouting in Wufei's face.  
  
"A few," Wufei said his head lolling back a little in Duo's grasp.  
  
"SHIT!" said Duo loudly. "Trowa, look around for a bottle, he's taken too many pain pills."  
  
Trowa looked around under the bed, moving dirty clothes around. He came up with a small bottle his hand.  
  
"It says 'Every 4 hours for pain as needed'." Trowa said, "This must be it."  
  
The bottle was empty.  
  
"I didn't even realize he was on pain meds anymore," said Quatre, wringing his hands.  
  
"He probably just had a few left then," said Duo. "It only takes a few to knock you out like this. Lucky for him. Too many of those babies and you don't wake up."  
  
Quatre shuddered. "My God, I had no idea he was this depressed. I knew he was a little down because things weren't going as fast as he wanted, but."  
  
He broke off, sitting down in the nearest chair and putting his face in his hands.  
  
"Come on, Trowa, help me," said Duo, unbuttoning Wufei's pajama top and pulling it off. "We're gonna put him in the shower."  
  
Trowa helped Duo finish stripping Wufei down to his boxers, while he ineffectively protested and tried to push their hands away, and they carried him inside the large bathroom.  
  
Duo reached in the shower and adjusted the spray to cool, not freezing, but not warm either.  
  
He began to strip off his own clothes. "Hold him, I'm gonna have to get in with him, he can't stand by himself."  
  
Duo gritted his teeth and stood under the cool spray. "Yeow!" he said as it hit him on the chest. He took a deep breath. "Alright Trowa, hand him to me." Trowa passed Wufei's inert form over to Duo, who was sitting on a shower bench, and placed the nearly unconscious Wufei on his lap, holding firmly him around the waist and shoulders.  
  
Wufei groaned as the cool water hit him on the face, and he started to shiver.  
  
His eyes came open slightly and he looked at Duo. "Maxwell," he moaned. "What're you doin'? he asked sluggishly, trying to struggle out of Duo's tight grasp.  
  
"Wakin' you up, Sleeping Beauty," Duo said grinning. He stuck Wufei's face under the cold spray, making him sputter and start to move away from the discomfort.  
  
"NO!" wailed Wufei, struggling harder.  
  
"I'm not enjoyin' this either, Wu-man," muttered Duo, who was starting to shiver himself, but tightened his grasp on Wufei.  
  
Outside the bathroom, Quatre had called a maid in and they had started cleaning the room, stripping the bed and remaking it with clean sheets.  
  
Isabel came in, "You wanted to speak to me, Mr. Winner?"  
  
"How long has Mr. Chang been refusing to let the maids in?" he asked.  
  
"Two days," said Isabel, "as far as I know," she added.  
  
"The staff told me this morning and I was going to tell you. He's been rejecting his meal trays too, asking us to take them back to the kitchen. I'm sorry, if I'd known, I'd have told you sooner, Mr. Winner."  
  
Isabel looked stricken. "It's all right," said Quatre, "It's not anyone's fault."  
  
She nodded, "Thank you, Mr. Winner. I hope your friend is all right."  
  
"I do too," said Quatre. "You can go now."  
  
Isabel nodded and left the room.  
  
Sally came to the doorway. "Where's Wufei?" she said, looking at the newly straightened room.  
  
"Duo took him into the shower, and he's sitting in there with him. A cold shower. Apparently, Wufei took a few too many pain pills." Quatre sat down again and passed his hand over his face.  
  
"I'm sorry Sally, I should have seen how depressed he was getting!" Quatre pulled up his knees in the large chair and hugged them.  
  
"It's all right," said Sally soothingly. "But I need to see him. I can give him a stimulant to counteract the depressive effects of the medication. That should help."  
  
"They're in there." Quatre pointed to the bathroom door.  
  
Sally went in. Trowa and Duo where wrapping Wufei in a large towel. Duo himself had one wrapped around his waist and his wet braid trailed down his back.  
  
"You're just in time for the party," said Duo grimly, rubbing a mildly protesting Wufei rather roughly with the towel.  
  
"So I see," said Sally, opening her bag. "I'm going to give him a mild stimulant," she said.  
  
Duo nodded. "I stuck him under the cold spray, I thought that'd help."  
  
Sally prepared a hypodermic. "It was the best thing to do," she agreed.  
  
She swabbed Wufei's upper arm with a square of alcohol soaked gauze and jabbed the hypo into his arm.  
  
"He'll come around in a few minutes," Sally said. "Let's get him back in the bedroom."  
  
"I washed him up a little in there," said Duo, grinning ruefully. "He wasn't exactly a sweet flower when we found him."  
  
"I can imagine." Sally looked at Wufei as Duo and Trowa carried him into the bedroom between them and gently lowered him to the bed.  
  
Wufei's long dark hair hung limply around his face, which was a few degrees paler than his normal healthy tan. There were dark bruised looking smudges under his eyes, which were still unfocused.  
  
"Wufei, can you hear me?" Sally said, sitting down next to him on the bed and taking his hand.  
  
"Yes," he said almost inaudibly. "Sorry," he mumbled. "Didn't realize.."  
  
"What's that?" she asked bending closer.  
  
"Took pills so I could work harder, so it wouldn't hurt." He said, turning his face to hers.  
  
"Oh, Wufei," she said, putting her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Don't want to be a cripple."  
  
"But, you're doing so well!" Sally said, shaking her head.  
  
"Not enough," he said, closing his eyes.  
  
Duo, who had gone back in the bathroom to put his clothes back on, came out in time to hear that last.  
  
"Figures," he said, sighing. "You know what a perfectionist he is. Whaddya gonna do with someone so damn stubborn?"  
  
"At least we know he didn't try to kill himself," said Quatre, looking relieved. His eyes were wet.  
  
Trowa nodded and went over to Quatre, putting his arms around the shorter man. "It's all right," he murmured, handing Quatre a handkerchief.  
  
A knowing look passed briefly between Sally and Trowa, and Trowa bent to kiss Quatre lightly on the cheek.  
  
Quatre wiped his eyes.  
  
"I'm going to stay here until he's fully recovered, don't worry," said Sally.  
  
"Duo, I can't thank you enough for coming so quickly," said Quatre.  
  
"I broke every damn speed limit doing it," said Duo.  
  
"I bet you did," said Quatre, smiling at him.  
  
"I think maybe Sally would like to be alone with Wufei when he wakes up," said Trowa.  
  
"Yeah," nodded Duo. "I'd love something hot to drink, that cold shower wasn't exactly my idea of paradise. Especially holding a naked man. Talk about your dick shrivelers!"  
  
Quatre laughed. "Speak for yourself!"  
  
Duo groaned. "I forgot for a moment that everyone around here is gayer than springtime."  
  
The three of them left with Duo asking if he could get marshmallows in his cocoa. 


	13. Coming Back Up

Who's a Weak Onna?  
  
Chapter 13  
  
Coming Back Up  
  
Wufei awoke with Sally next to him, watching him carefully. His head had a small man beating a very large drum in time with his heartbeat, so it was hard to think.  
  
The last thing he remembered clearly was coming home from physical therapy in so much pain that he'd decided to take some of the pain medication he had left over in his drawer.  
  
David, the physical therapist had been warning him about "overdoing it".  
  
He'd overdone it.  
  
Then he vaguely remembered taking a few more pills, since one hadn't even begun to ease the throbbing pain in his leg.  
  
"I think I had a nightmare," he said in a dry croak.  
  
Sally helped him sit up and gave him a long drink of water.  
  
"A nightmare?" she repeated.  
  
"I dreamed I took a shower with Maxwell," said Wufei. "And it was cold."  
  
"That wasn't a nightmare."  
  
Wufei said several naughty words in Mandarin, which made Sally bite the inside of her lip to keep from smiling.  
  
"Wufei, do you know what happened?"  
  
"Vaguely," he replied.  
  
"What do you remember?" she asked him.  
  
"Aside from the shower, coming home from physical therapy in some pain," he said.  
  
"Is that when you decided to take four pain pills?" she asked him in a severe tone.  
  
"Yes." He dipped his head and took another drink.  
  
"How do you know there were four?" he asked.  
  
"Because that's what came back up."  
  
He winced. "I remember that now."  
  
"Wufei, you have to swear to me you'll never do anything like that again!" pleaded Sally.  
  
"I talked to David Schwab, the physical therapist, and he told me you're pushing yourself much, much too hard." She took a deep breath.  
  
"It will come, eventually, just let it!" she said, taking his hand and squeezing it.  
  
"I want to be a whole man again!" he cried, wrenching his hand away to cover his face.  
  
"And where did you get the idea you weren't?" she asked him.  
  
"I don't know," he said hoarsely.  
  
"Oh, Wufei," she exclaimed.  
  
She put her arms around him and he tensed.  
  
"Don't you want me whole, Sally, a whole, complete, strong man? I'm a useless cripple! Until a few weeks ago, I couldn't even go to the toilet by myself! I'm tired of being like this!"  
  
"But you're only looking at what you still can't do, not what you've accomplished!" she said to him earnestly.  
  
"You've already exceeded every expectation and it's still not enough for you, is it?" she asked, shaking her head.  
  
He shook his head slowly. "I just don't know. I don't know anything anymore. I just want everything to be the way it used to be."  
  
A sob escaped from his throat and he bit down on his lip until he could taste blood.  
  
"It's all right to cry," said Sally. "It beats the hell out of taking too many pain pills, scaring the hell out of everyone who loves you and almost killing yourself!"  
  
He curled up on his side and his shoulders and chest heaved silently. Sally lay down next to him and put her arms around him from behind, making comforting noises.  
  
"Everyone knows, don't they?" he asked after a few minutes, in a choked voice. "Just us," she said, "Quatre, Trowa, Duo and I, and the staff here, of course."  
  
"I'm never coming out of this room again," he said, and she couldn't tell if he was serious or not.  
  
"Yes, you are, if we all have to drag you kicking and screaming, you are getting out of this bed and having a life again," she threatened, reaching over and pinching his ear hard.  
  
"Ow!" he said, rubbing his ear. "What was that for?"  
  
"If you're going to act like a brat, I'm going to treat you like one," she warned, raising her and giving him a resounding smack on his butt.  
  
"Ow, woman! Stop this nonsense at once. You will NOT spank me!"  
  
"OH, and who's going to stop me, Mr. Weak Onna?" she sat up, rolling away and he tried to grab her.  
  
"I'm not a weak onna!" he growled, lunging for her again and missing as she deftly slid off the silk comforter and stood up.  
  
"Neither am I!" she said loudly, and grabbing a pillow, hit him in the face with it with enough force to send him sprawling back on the bed.  
  
"Not fair, I'm not armed," he said, scowling at her. "Injustice! I will defeat you, in spite of your cowardly advantage of two sound legs!"  
  
"No you won't!" she yelled, hitting him again with her pillow. "I am the stronger, I will prevail!"  
  
He grabbed for the other pillow and swung at her. His headache was receding, he noted in the back of his mind. No matter, he had fought injured and in pain before. On with the battle!  
  
He hopped to his feet, keeping the weight carefully off of his injured leg as Sally launched a pillow at him from the opposite side of the room.  
  
"Foolish move, now you're unarmed!" he said, picking up the pillow he'd almost managed to dodge and throwing it back at her.  
  
She squealed as it hit her in the back as she ran for the other side of the room.  
  
"But now I'm armed again," she said in a teasing voice, pretending to stalk him, pillow raised to strike.  
  
"Take your best shot!" Wufei said, grinning faintly in spite of himself.  
  
Sally lunged suddenly and whacked Wufei resoundingly on the butt with her pillow.  
  
He tried to swing his pillow in time to do the same, but overbalanced and fell back on the bed, loosing his grip on the silk pillowcase.  
  
Sally quickly straddled him and held down his arms with her knees.  
  
"I am victorious, Dragon!" she crowed, carefully avoiding his injured leg. The cast he wore protected it, but he'd already been in pain once today.  
  
He bared his throat to her and said, "Do with me what you will, then," in such a seductive voice that she caught her breath. Then gently bent to claim his neck with a long lick, then a small nip that she licked again to sooth and then a long trailing kiss.  
  
"I don't think I mind losing; this time," he said with a gasp.  
  
"Sometimes, surrender can gain you the most advantage," Sally purred, brushing her lips against his mouth.  
  
"I'm finding the terms of surrender most enjoyable," he said, turning his head so she could bless the other side of his neck with an openmouthed kiss, too.  
  
"Before I state the rest of my terms, I need to get up and lock the door," she said, indicating the door which had been put back on the hinges.  
  
"After all, this IS a private peace treaty," she added.  
  
"But, are you sure I'm up to, um, further negotiations?" he asked.  
  
"We can consider it physical therapy," she said, coming back from locking the door and sliding off her blouse. "A necessary part of recovery."  
  
"Besides, one of my terms of surrender is that I am in control. You must lie there and promise to do as little as possible. Remember, I am the victor."  
  
"I humbly submit to your terms, oh victorious one." He closed his eyes.  
  
"I'll be gentle," she said, bending over him and taking her long hair out of its barrette at the nape of her neck and letting it trail onto his bare chest.  
  
He moaned wordlessly and reached up to her face as she lowered her mouth to his and kissed him again.  
  
"Parts of me are disobeying your wishes," he said quietly. "I don't seem to be able to keep them from doing nothing."  
  
"I suppose that its inevitable that no surrender is accomplished without a little problem coming up," she said, smiling lasciviously.  
  
"Little?" he said, raising his eyebrows.  
  
"I apologize," she said, reaching down and stroking him through his pajama bottoms. "It seems to be a bigger problem than I first anticipated."  
  
"You're so good at taking care of problems," he said, "Do you think you can remedy this one?"  
  
"I'll certainly try my best." 


	14. Dumb Luck

Who's a Weak Onna?  
  
Chapter 14  
  
Dumb Luck  
  
(AN: Warning, severe WAFF alert. I'm the self-nominated Queen of the Sappy Happy endings. Yes, it's the end. But I'll be back. Just like MacArthur said when leaving the Phillipines. If you don't know what that refers to, you're probably flunking WWII History.)  
  
"I'm so glad you could all be here," said Quatre, raising his glass of champagne. He usually was not one to drink, but this afternoon was a special occasion.  
  
The ex-Gundam pilots and others were gathered out in the back garden of the Winner estate, under the shade of a large gazebo. Light classical music was playing softly in the background and around them was a riot of newly blooming spring flowers.  
  
"I'd like to make a toast to my friends, Chang Wufei and Sally Po," he said formally.  
  
Everyone stood and the slight clinking of glasses was heard.  
  
Wufei bowed, and took Sally's hand in his.  
  
"We're so honored all of our friends could be here to celebrate our engagement."  
  
Duo jumped up and yelled, "Way to go, Wu-man!" and proceeded to grab Wufei up in a ferocious bear hug.  
  
"Put me down!" Wufei demanded, but he made no move to break free.  
  
"Put him down, Duo," said Hilde, patting her very round stomach.  
  
"If I could get up.." She smiled. "I need a winch to get up these days."  
  
"Sorry for crushing your precious little body," teased Duo. "I got carried away."  
  
Wufei growled faintly. "My body is neither precious nor little," he said.  
  
"Don't pop a vessel, man," said Duo. "It's just an expression."  
  
At around 5'10, they were both of a similar height, so 'little' was indeed an "expression" as Duo put it. Wufei had spent the last 6 months fine tuning his body back to something near it's original condition, so he was almost as broad across the shoulders as his long-haired friend.  
  
A slight limp when he was tired was the only residual sign that he had almost lost his leg 10 months earlier. The doctors predicted that soon, even that vestige of the accident would be gone.  
  
Heero frowned slightly, "When will you be fit for duty? Any estimates?" he asked Wufei.  
  
Wufei looked at Sally briefly. "I'm on desk duty for a few more months," he said, "but as soon as I get a clean bill of health, I'll be back on the mission roster."  
  
Heero nodded. "It will be good to have you back."  
  
"Wow, high praise," said Duo. "You really rate."  
  
Heero shook his head once. "Baka," he muttered, looking at Duo.  
  
Duo grinned at him, "I know you still love me best," he teased, reaching over to try to ruffle Heero's hair. Heero dodged easily and yanked Duo back down into his seat by the back of his jacket.  
  
"Easy on the duds!" complained Duo, twisting around to see if there was any damage to his beloved black leather motorcycle jacket.  
  
"Goodness," gasped Hilde, rubbing her stomach again.  
  
"What's wrong!" asked Duo in faint alarm, kneeling by her chair.  
  
"Nothing, just an huge kick," said Hilde. "Feel that!" she said, putting his hand on her stomach.  
  
Duo put his hand gently on her abdomen, and his eyes widened in amazement for second. "I never get tired of feeling that," he said, bending over and kissing Hilde's stomach.  
  
"How's things in there, little guy?" he said in a high, ridiculous voice.  
  
"Is it a boy, then?" asked Relena, smiling at them.  
  
"Yes, and a good thing, too, because my dumkopf husband here has been calling him 'little guy' from day I found out I was pregnant," Hilde said.  
  
"So, I'm psychic," said Duo, grinning at everyone.  
  
"Dumb luck," said Heero.  
  
Everyone laughed, including Relena, who patted his arm.  
  
Heero's eyes widened slightly, people rarely laughed at anything he said.  
  
"Do you have a name picked out?" asked Quatre, smiling at Hilde.  
  
"I was thinking of Solo," said Duo quietly. There was a noticeable silence for a few seconds.  
  
"It's a lovely name," said Relena, finally. "Very fitting."  
  
Trowa silently handed Quatre a handkerchief, and smiled at Sally, who smiled back at him.  
  
Duo sniffed, "I get kind of choked up myself, Q-man."  
  
"Sorry, I only have one handkerchief," said Trowa.  
  
Wufei snorted and Sally nudged him with her elbow. "Be nice," she hissed in Mandarin.  
  
"I am being nice," he replied in the same language. "But, I can be much nicer later, when we're alone."  
  
"You're deliberately trying to make me squirm," she whispered.  
  
"Later," he said. "Under me. Writhing in ecstasy, moaning and screaming my name. "  
  
"Bad," she said, smiling.  
  
"It's rude to have dirty discussions in front of other people," said Heero.  
  
"How do you know that was a dirty conversation?" asked Duo.  
  
Heero just shrugged.  
  
"You speak Mandarin?" asked Wufei, his face reddening a little.  
  
"Enough."  
  
Sally laughed.  
  
"I'll have to remember that," said Wufei, looking disconcerted.  
  
"What'd they say?" asked Duo.  
  
"Tell him and I'll run you through," threatened Wufei. "It's bad enough you know. At least you can keep your mouth shut."  
  
"Is it all right if he tells me later?" asked Relena, her eyes innocent, but with a wicked smile on her face.  
  
Heero shook his head. "Hentai."  
  
"You noticed," said Relena.  
  
Duo laughed. "I always knew that goody two shoes thing was an act."  
  
"Help me up," said Hilde, "I need to go to the bathroom."  
  
"Again?" asked Duo.  
  
"Yes, again," said Hilde irritably. "If you don't like waiting on me hand and foot, you shouldn't have knocked me up."  
  
"Yes, oh goddess of my days and nights."  
  
"That's more like it."  
  
"It's all in the training," said Hilde to Relena as Duo hoisted her out of the wicker cushioned chair.  
  
"Whips and chains?" asked Relena.  
  
"Of course," said Hilde, giggling. "Oh, don't make me laugh, I'll wet myself."  
  
She waddled to the house with Duo holding her arm.  
  
"You make it sound like we're all hen-pecked weaklings," said Wufei, frowning, at Relena.  
  
"They were joking," said Sally, "Don't start."  
  
Wufei wisely decided to bite his tongue.  
  
"Would you like to take a walk?" asked Sally, rising from her chair. "I want to look at the gardens."  
  
Wufei nodded. "I'll come with you." He grabbed his cane and rose from the chair. He didn't really need the cane that much anymore, but it was a gift from Sally and he'd gotten attached to it.  
  
It had a bronze dragon's head forming the handle of an ebony lacquered stick.  
  
She took his other hand as they walked along.  
  
"I want to show you something," she said.  
  
She led him to the low stone wall secluded by trees next a small bubbling pond.  
  
They sat together on the low wall and she leaned over and put her head on his shoulder.  
  
"This is where I first realized that I loved you," she said, taking his hand and kissing the back of it.  
  
"I've never been here before," Wufei said, looking a little baffled.  
  
"I came here after we fought once and that's when it came to me," she said, "I realized that the only way it could hurt so much for you to be angry with me was if I were in love with you."  
  
"I wish you could have found out in a more pleasant way," he said, sounding genuinely apologetic.  
  
"I suppose there are as many ways to discover you love someone as there are people," Sally said, "and they're all wonderful in their own way. You should know that better than anyone."  
  
"Me?" said Wufei. "I'm not exactly an expert on love. Far from it."  
  
"And yet, you've managed to find it twice in a lifetime. A lot of people never even get one chance," Sally said.  
  
"Dumb luck," said Wufei, smiling. 


End file.
